Second Chances
by iwouldntchangeaday
Summary: "There must be a reason why God gave you a second chance" A miracle gave them a second chance. Will they do things right this time around? -time-travel fic -an eventual kid fic -MSR through and through -smut
1. Second Chances

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mulder, Scully, Skinner, Maggie, Emily or any other characters you might recognize in here (if I did I would not be struggling to pay for college right now). There will be a few OC's but I do not own any of the main characters, nor am I making a profit from this story. It is written purely for the enjoyment of my own overactive imagination and need for Mulder and Scully to be happy and not have to deal with all of the shit that they do in the show. All rights to the characters in this story and other crap go to Fox, 1013, and Chris Carter. You know the whole spiel.**

 **Spoilers: YES. This is a shipper fic. It's also going to eventually be a kid-fic, as well. If you don't like either of these things then it's best to turn back now. The story takes place as an AU canon-divergence that starts a at the end of Millennium and circles back to the very beginning of the show.**

The first thing that Dana Scully's senses registered was the gagging smell of burnt rubber. _'Where am I?'_ Realizing that her head hurt like hell, Scully moved to put her hands against her skull to check for blood- only to be stopped by a weird feeling of paralyzation. ' _Why can't I_ move? _Why is it so dark? Are my eyes even open?'_ Scully heart dropped in her chest. This can't be good.

She thought hard on what the last thing she remembered was… ' _Let's see…. I was in the car.. driving Mulder home from the hospital.. it was New Year's Eve… Wait, is it still New Year's Eve? How much time has passed?'_ Scully tried shifting around again, but quickly realized that she still couldn't move and that her attempts were futile. ' _God, where's Mulder? What if he's in trouble, too?'_ Scully couldn't remember anything past driving Mulder home.

"Dana," a quiet voice faded into Scully's senses. Along with it came a bright white light. It was blinding in its sheer intensity; Scully still couldn't tell whether her eyes were open or not. She seemed to have zero control over her motor functions.

"Dana," the voice called again, louder this time. It sounded like the voice of a small child. A girl maybe.

"Who- Who are you?," Scully tried to ask, only to find that she wasn't able to vocalize her thoughts. ' _What is going on?'_

"Dana, it's me, Sam."

' _How is this possible? How is this person hearing me? Is it a person?'_ Scully was completely confused and highly scared. But then it clicked- Sam. Sam. Sam, as in Samantha Mulder. "Samantha?" Scully silently asked questioningly.

"Yeah," Samantha giggled. "It's me."

"What's going on? Why can't I speak or move or see? Where am I? Where have you been all these years? Why are you here now? What happened to you?" a myriad of questions ran through Scully head.

"This isn't how you were supposed to end up, Dana." There was a sigh evident in Samantha's voice. "None of this was supposed to have happened. But you didn't listen. Neither of you listened. You ignored and you pushed your feelings away. Your life wasn't supposed to be like this, Dana."

"What are you talking about? Why am I here? What happened to me?" Scully was _not_ about to admit to her feelings for Mulder, especially when she couldn't even see them.

"Dana, you died."

"What?!" Scully felt tears rise up under her eyelids, the emotional response stinging her nose but the tears never actually did fall. She felt sick to her stomach. _'How am I dead? How could this have happened? What about my mother?'_

"Stop and let me explain, Dana," Samantha interrupted her thoughts in an urgent tone. "Please, we don't have much time. You died in a car accident on your way home from the hospital. A drunk driver swerved into your lane at 12:27 AM and hit your car head on. You died from a broken neck and excessive blood loss."

"O-Okay.." Scully hesitated, trying to keep her emotions in check. She couldn't believe it. She wasn't ready to die yet.

"God had a plan. He gave you signs. You didn't follow them and neither did Fox. The quest- his quest, your quest- it was never about me. It was about you two. You guys were supposed to find each other, not me. You were supposed to find each other." Samantha let out a long sigh. "He's sending you back, Dana. He's going to show you what your life would have ended up like if you had lived; and then he's going to send you back. Back, so you can fix things. So you can follow the signs. None of this was ever supposed to happen. None of the pain. None of the loss. None of the suffering." Samantha voice slowly faded out until Scully could no longer hear her. 'No, wait!,' she still wasn't able to speak. ' _Come back! Come back, Samantha_!'

An overwhelming sense of dizziness assaulted Scully senses. It was so strong. Her stomach began to churn. It felt like she was falling weightless through the darkness.

Images began to pop into Scully's mind, like a silent movie that was exclusive to her and her only. They were intense in both their vivid color and the emotional connection that she felt with each scene that played out.

She saw her and Mulder kissing. Her and Mulder falling into bed with each other, blissfully happy.

What came after that devastated her and left her heart resting in her throat: Mulder was taken right when she found out that they were going to have a baby. She searched and searched for him, only to find him beaten, abused, cold, and lifeless a few months later.

She saw herself sobbing alone at his grave. She saw her mother's reaction when she finally mustered up the courage and the strength to tell her that she was carrying the deceased love of her life's child. She was alone. So utterly alone. The only thing there to keep her going was the fact that he left her with a piece of himself.

She saw his rotting body in a hospital bed, only breathing because of ventilators that were doing it for him. She saw the scars that marred his body, the nightmares that plagued his conscience.

She saw him having to leave them, his family, in order to keep the baby safe. She saw the baby being kidnapped. Again. And again. She watched as a very broken version of herself sent her baby boy away to live, be raised, and be loved by people who weren't her and Mulder. She watched as Mulder was convicted of murder. They went on the run together. They hid. And they hid. For years.

Eventually the images stopped and Scully couldn't help but burst out into tears, heavy sobs wracking her body. She wanted Mulder more than anything in the world. But not like that. Not with so much pain and loss to where they wouldn't survive. To where love couldn't possibly be enough.

The echoing sound of her frantic distress called her attention away from her tumultuous emotions. _'What's going on now? Why can I hear all of the sudden?'_ Birds chirping off into the distance soon became audible to her ears. Peeling one eye open, and then the other, Scully was shocked to find herself in bed, back in her apartment. Her _old_ apartment. Old as in the one that she hadn't lived in for six years.

Scully rolled out of her bed and wandered towards the window where the sun was streaming in unapologetically, it's bright incandescent light filtering in slowly through the blinds. She was completely bewildered. _'How was any of this explainable? How was she back here?'_

An idea popped into her brain. Turning around, she took inventory of all of the furniture and knick-knacks in the room. They were all hers. Scully walked into her bathroom and looked into the floor length mirror. What she saw there caused her to be speechless, driving her confusion even deeper. What she saw in the mirror was not a well-put-together FBI agent in her mid-30s. Gone was her short, cropped red hair and her experience-altered facial expression. The person who stood before her was young. She had somewhat long strawberry blonde hair and big, baggy pajamas. This woman looked to be about 28 and was at least ten pounds heavier than the version of herself that she was used to- the version that still, even after two years, couldn't seem to gain back the weight that she lost while she was fighting her cancer.

She raced back into the bedroom, skidding to a halt in front of where the alarm clock was in front of her bed. 8:23 AM, Sunday, March 6, 1992. Scully gasped, taking a few steps backwards, causing her to back to run into the doorway that led out to the kitchen and living room.

If this was true. If God really had sent her back… then that means that she hasn't met Mulder yet. That would happen on Monday. This would mean that her father is still alive. That Missy is still alive. This is her second chance. Her chance to avoid the darkness. To be happy. This is her chance to build a life with only person she could ever imagine spending it with.

"Oh, my God," Scully cried out, dropping down onto her knees, her hands coming up to rest over her eyes, concealing the bout of emotion that was once again sweeping over her emotions. She prayed to God to thank him for letting her come back, for giving her another chance. She'd do it right this time. She didn't want to put her family in danger. She didn't want to put Mulder or herself in danger, either. She wanted a future. A future with Mulder, hopefully. She felt encouraged because of the kiss that he had instigated just before… well, it was ten years in the future now.. _'But what if Mulder doesn't remember me? Will I show up to meet him on Monday and have to rebuild our whole friendship back up. How will I get him to trust me again? How will I keep him safe from his own mind and the Syndicate and the smoking man?'_

A knock sounded in from the front door. ' _Who could that be_ ,' Scully thought as she got up off of her knees and moved to open it.

The brunette woman of average height and stature breezed past Scully from the other side of the door, not even bothering to stop to greet her sister. "Hey, Danes.. sorry I'm late. You just won't believe the amount of traffic I hit on the way over here. You really need to move, you kno-," the woman stopped rambling as she turned and noticed the awe-stricken look on her little sister's face, not to mention the newly added tear tracks. "Oh, my God. Dana, what's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Scully's lip quivered as she took in the sight that was, without a doubt, her eccentric big sister, Melissa. She shut the door quietly and then walked right over to Melissa, enveloping her in a bear hug.

"Dana," Melissa inquired worriedly as she felt, rather than heard, Dana sniffle against her shirt. "You're scaring me. What's going on? What's wrong?" Melissa kept repeating herself, anxiously awaiting an answer from her little sister. The same little sister who always had refused to cry in front of other people, out of a false sense of weakness or subordination, she had naturally assumed.

It took a few long minutes before Scully could finally gather her strength enough to speak. "God, Missy. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Dana," Missy began in confusion. "But we just saw each other last weekend at Mom's house?"

"You're never going to believe what I'm about to tell you, Missy." Scully grabbed Missy's hand and led her over to the couch. "On second thought, you probably will, knowing you…"

 **§§§**

"Dana, I just can't believe it.," Missy stuttered. "Well, I can.. But I.. just.. wow." There were no other words for it besides that it was extraordinary.

"You believe me then?," Scully inquired hopefully from her head's perch on Missy's shoulder.

"Of course I believe you."

"What do you think it means?," Scully asked hesitantly.

"Um, well I think for one, you're supposed to change some of the events in the past seven years of your history, but not all of them. I think you need to think really hard about what you want and what you think Samantha told you you messed up on the last time around.." Missy paused briefly, carefully considering the weight of what she was about to ask. "What do you want, Dana?"

"I want.." Scully sighed heavily and dropped her head into Missy's lap, carelessly throwing her legs over the arm of the couch. "Oh, God. I want Mulder. And I want us and our family's to be safe. And I want kids… Kids … I had just finally started getting used to the idea of not being able to have kids. But now that I've seen what the baby Mulder and I would have had looks like.. and knowing that it's possible again… since I haven't been abducted yet or had cancer… God, I want kids more than anything." A few seconds went by before she added a quiet, "I hadn't known how much I wanted to be a mom until the choice was taken away from me.."

 **Other Stories:**

Lost and Found (in progress)


	2. Still Your Starbuck

**§§§**

"Why are we here again, Missy?," Scully groaned. It wasn't that she didn't mind shopping. It was that this was the sixth store that Missy had dragged her into on an empty stomach, lunchtime having flown by several hours ago by now.

"Because," Missy replied patiently. She knew that her baby sister hated long shopping trips. "We need you to look good for Mulder on Monday and those frumpy suits you have in your closet just aren't going to cut it." Missy grabbed Scully hand in excitement and dragged her into Ann Taylor.

This elicited another groan from the shorter figure of the two. "But I _like_ my frumpy suits, Miss. That's why I bought them."

"Well, that's too bad. You're going to look extra hot and you're going to definitely catch Mulder's eye on Monday or so help me God. And I'm going to help you."

 **§§§**

Two hours and five stores later, Missy had finally deemed Scully's purchases to be enough. Just as they were about to leave, however, a store caught Scully's eye. "Hang on, Missy. We forgot something." Scully watched as Missy crinkled her forehead in thought.

"What did we forget?"

Huffing out a small, embarrassed laugh, Scully meandered over towards the Victoria's Secret.

Missy smiled slyly. " _Oh,_ so _that's_ what you have planned for him, huh?," she giggled.

"Oh, Miss..," Scully shook her head in exasperation. "In my time.. I, well, I, uh, haven't had sex in about a decade; so, _yes_ that's what I have _planned_ for him. He's my best friend. The love of my life. Even if he doesn't realize it, yet. And yes, eventually.. when the time is right… hopefully I can be with him. But he doesn't even know who I am, yet. I just want to be prepared."

"A decade?!," Missy screeched. "That's ten years, Dana!"

"Hush it, Miss! We're in public for goodness sake! Is that really all you got out of what I just said to you?"

"Ten years!," Missy brought her voice down to a generously frantic whisper. "How did you manage to fall in love but not have sex _for ten years_?"

"Because my old life was.. well, dangerous to say the least. I had zero time for dating, not that I'd even want to date. I wanted Mulder and the only way I could have him was to be his friend and follow his on his quest, which eventually became my quest, too. Especially after," her throat began to feel heavy. "..you.. di- died," Scully struggled out. "And I was abducted, I had my ova stolen from me, I almost died from cancer, my daughter died, dad died, Bill hated Mulder- he probably still will though, so that's no surprise… and Samantha gave me flashbacks of what my future would have looked like, too. Mulder and I would have gotten together and we would've had a little baby boy.. but Mulder would have died, come back to life, and then become a wrongfully wanted man; and, and and, I would have had to give away my baby when he was a toddler to keep him safe. I'm so happy I won't have that life, Miss.. but I do hope that God will still allow us to have that little baby boy... and that he'll let us keep him."

"You really do want a family, don't you, Dana?"

"Miss, in my time.. I was a thirty-five year old woman who wasn't able to have kids or tell the man she loved that she actually did love him. My mind is still in that state, even if my body is younger. I'm ready for a family. But only if it's with Mulder. God, Missy.. I don't know if I can wait another seven years to tell him I love him."

"Then dont."

Scully didn't want to argue with her sister over that last comment. Sometimes you just don't have a choice. She didn't want some fling with Mulder. She wanted their old relationship. The one that was built on trust and friendship. The love hadn't showed up until after that. And she wouldn't have it any other way. She would wait seven more years if she had to. Of course, she didn't want to, but she would, if it meant she'd get her old Mulder.

 **§§§**

"Dana, that's not the way back to your apartment…" Missy pointed out as she noticed that Dana had just passed up the exit she was supposed to take, in favor of an exit six miles further up the freeway.

"I know, Miss. I want to see Mom and Dad. I need to convince Dad to go get an EKG."

"Why, Dana? When did he die in your life?" Missy was slightly alarmed at the worry she heard in her sister's voice.

"I don't know if telling you will change any history or not… but I've already told you a lot about the other life, so I guess I can. But you can't repeat any of this to anyone. It stays between us, and us only."

"Of course," Missy easily agreed.

"In my life, Dad died on December 29, 1992. Which is why he needs to get an EKG now. He died of a heart attack and I need to convince him to go in so the doctors can hopefully detect the heart blockage and prevent the attack from happening," Scully explained carefully as she pulled into their parents driveway.

Letting her excitement get the best of her and distract her from their conversation, Scully practically leaped out of the car. "C'mon! C'mon, Missy!" Scully rushed to the front door and used her key to open it. She tried to collect herself as best as she could as she walked through the entryway. Missy slowly trailed in a good ten steps behind her.

Setting her keys down on the coffee table in the living room, Scully began to walk through the house. "Mom? Dad? Anyone home?"

"In here!," Maggie called from the kitchen.

"Hey, mom!" Scully walked over to where her mother was doing dishes and kissed her on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?," Maggie asked curiously, recoverung quickly from her daughter's odd, overly affectionate greeting. She'd never seen Dana act this way; not since she was little, at least.

"Oh I just wanted to stop by." Well, that wasn't a complete lie. "Where's Dad?" Scully tried to hide her excitement and anticipation.

"He's out back reading the newspaper."

"Okay, I'm gonna go say hi." Scully passed Missy by on her way out of the kitchen.

"Hi, mom," she heard Missy say from somewhere behind her.

Scully caught her breath as she opened the screen door. There he was. God, she's missed missed him. Swallowing convulsively, Scully tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke. "Hey, Ahab. Whatcha doin' out here?"

"Heyyy, Starbuck. What a surprise!" Bill looked up from newspaper and patted the spot on the swinging bench next to him. "Come help me; I'm doing the daily crossword."

Scully couldn't fight off her grin as she plopped down next to her father. Resting her head on his shoulder, she asked him what number he was on.

"Number 32, down, Starbuck," he answered her, focusing intently on the question in front of him while he tapped the eraser of the pencil against his lip. "I can't figure it out; you would know, though…"

"Hmm, let's see..," Scully looked down at the paper, searching for the right one. "The conduction of sound to the inner ear through the bones of the skull.." She thought for a second, even though she already knew the answer. It felt good to talk and sit with her dad again. "That would be bone conduction."

"Bone conduction," her father repeated as he attempted to write it in. "By golly you're right! I knew you'd know. You always know. Good job, Starbuck," he praised her, planting a kiss to the top of her hair.

Scully sighed contently and leaned into his shoulder. "I missed you, Ahab."

"I missed you, too, Starbuck. I always do."

The sound of the screen door opening brought Scully and Ahab away from the crossword. "Dana," her mother stated sweetly, choosing to linger half inside of the door and half out. "We're having dinner in ten if you and Miss wanna stay.."

Not being able to think of a single reason why she wouldn't want to stay and spend more time with the people that she'd spent so much time without, Scully nodded eagerly. "We'll stay… as long as Miss doesn't need to be anywhere."

"Okay," Maggie smiled broadly. She was clearly thrilled at the prospect of having both of her daughters eat a meal with them.

' _I don't spend enough time with them. I know that know. I'll fix that_ ,' Scully promised herself.

"I'll just go ask Missy, then," Maggie pointed a finger towards the house as she retreated back inside.

"Alright, Starbuck." Ahab patted Scully on the knee as he got up from his seat. "Let's go get washed up for supper."

 **§§§**

As Scully laid in her bed that night, she couldn't help but be both apprehensive and excited for the coming day. Tomorrow, she would go into her meeting and be assigned to spy on Mulder. She didn't know what to expect.. Would Mulder react the same way that he had the first time around? Would he be the same Mulder as he had been when she left? Or the same one she met seven years ago? She fell asleep a few minutes later, thinking about what her life held before her this time around and how she was going to be a better person, who made better choices. She wasn't going to waste this miracle.

 **Other Stories:**

Lost and Found (in progress)


	3. FBI's Most Unwanted

**§§§**

Morning came all too quickly for Scully. Her anxious excitement for the coming day kept her tossing and turning for a good two or three hours during the night.

Slamming her hand down on the blaring alarm, she glared at the it disapprovingly. '6:15 AM,' it said. ' _Too bad God didn't send me back with the ability to be a morning person.'_

Realizing that it was going to take her twenty minutes to get to work from her apartment, Scully hurried to shower and get ready. Missy had helped her figure out which one of the outfits from yesterday's shopping trip that she should wear for today.

She was done getting ready by 7:15, just in time. Taking one last look in the floor-length mirror, Scully gave herself a nod of approval. She stood for a few seconds, admiring the way her wine-red pencil skirt cut right above knees, making her legs look longer. She smiled at the way it, combined with her her cream colored ¾ sleeve, tight fitting blouse, made her hips look shapely and her waist look small.

She heard her sister's compliment from the day before replay in her mind: 'He's crazy if your unmatchable beauty, incredible hourglass figure, and sassy personality doesn't rock his world from Day One,' Missy had said to her. Scully smiled and inhaled a deep breath, trying to gain all the confidence she could. _'I can do this. I can do this_ ,' Scully repeated to herself. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door with a shaky smile gracing her lips.

 **§§§**

"Are you familiar with an agent named Fox Mulder?"

"Yes, I am." Scully tried not to smile. They didn't know just how _familiar_ she was with him. Of course, it wasn't as much as she wished it to be, but hopefully that too would be remedied eventually.

"How so?"

Scully ghosted her finger subtly along her bottom lip, reliving the brief feeling of the kiss that her old Mulder had left her with before she was sent back. She took a second before answering the man. "By reputation. He's an Oxford educated psychologist, who wrote a monograph on serial killers and the occult, that helped to catch Monty Props in 1988." Scully was trying desperately to only mention things that Mulder had accomplished before 1992. "..Generally thought of as the best analyst in the violent crimes section. He had a nickname at the academy... Spooky Mulder." She hoped that she'd been convincing enough, that they couldn't tell just how well she knew the man in question. She hoped they couldn't tell that she'd spent seven years of her life getting to know him, trying to understand his brain, helping him, caring for him… falling for him…

"Are you familiar with the so-called X-Files?," Section Chief Blevins finally made himself audible. He had been silent for most of their meeting, sans the introduction.

"I believe they have to do with unexplained phenomena," she stated easily, confidently.

"More or less. The reason you're here, Agent Scully, is we want you to assist Mulder on these X-Files. You'll write field reports on your activities along with your observations on the validity of the work."

Scully couldn't help the anger that flared within her. They had no right to treat Mulder this way. Mulder was a brilliant man, who yes, was obsessed, but for a good cause. Mulder was smart, caring, and brave. He didn't deserve the disrespect that everyone showed him, no matter if they were working for the Syndicate or not. "Am I to understand that you want me to debunk the X-Files Project, sir?," she gritted, trying not to be as disrespectful as she wanted to be. She needed to ensure her spot working alongside Mulder, even if that meant sucking up to dirty people like Blevins.

"Agent Scully, we trust you'll make the proper scientific analysis," Blevins replied coldly, an obvious dismissal of her question.

Scully got up once she received the feeling that Blevins was done speaking with her. She managed to exit out of his office with controlled poise, but as soon as the door clicked shut heavily behind her, Scully stormed her way down the hallway. Jamming her finger repeatedly into the elevator call button, Scully tried her best to expel all of her anger. Angry was not the way she wanted to feel when she met Mulder.

By the time she had boarded and rode the elevator all the way down to the basement, the excitement over seeing her Mulder again won over her emotions. As she stepped out of the elevator and began walking down that oh-so familiar hallway, all of her anger dissipated immediately. She couldn't wait to see him again. She missed him.

Nocking tentatively on the door, Scully could only hope that Mulder wouldn't be outright dismissive of her. She only hoped that he wouldn't be able to see the love, longing, and desire that were all probably evident in her gaze. _'Wouldn't that be unfortunate,' she thought. 'What if he sees those things in me when I look at him and decides to run or not trust me. I need him to trust me.'_

"Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI's Most Unwanted," a warm voice that was sweet like saccharine called from the other side of the door. His tone washed over Scully's senses like warm honey, igniting a fire in her belly and turning her legs to jelly. He's the only one for her, the only one she'd ever want to be with.

She slowly opened the door, more than ready to face what would be the start of the rest of her life. The sight that greeted her warmed her heart. There he was in his black slacks and her favorite old work shirt of his: a light grey button down. In her old life, she had actually stolen that shirt from him so she could wear it as pajamas. She had taken it back when she couldn't sleep, after Barry and Pfaster happened. At the time, she knew she couldn't go to him for comfort; so she did the only other thing she could think of: she took his shirt. It was the best she could do considering the circumstances.. and it did help. The shirt smelled of him and tricked her senses into feeling safe and loved, into thinking that he was there with her. Oh, yes. She knew that shirt well.

Swallowing convulsively, she made her way towards him. He was sitting while facing towards her this time, as if he were waiting for her. The thought made Scully's mind swell with hope.

She tried to hide her grin when she watched his eyes wander up and down her small frame. His Adam's apple bobbed with a gulp as he made eye contact with her for the first time. ' _I've got him_ ,' she thought proudly.

"Agent Mulder. Hi, I'm Dana Scully. I've been assigned to work with you." She gave him her brightest smile and watched with delight as he gave her one in return, as well.

"It's very nice to meet you. Now, tell me… Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?," Mulder leaned down into her head-space, causing her to feel dizzy with the close proximity of his body. She made a mental note about how he didn't accuse her of being a spy. Maybe this time around really would be different, and not just because of her. He seemed different too, somehow… happier… less stressed and less guarded.

With her heart in her throat, Scully struggled to find the words to answer him. He was still leaning down towards her and with the aid of the four and a half inch 'fuck me' heels that she was wearing, it was just within her reach to be able to grab ahold of him and yank his mouth to hers. Finally finding her voice, Scully continued to fight against the urge to latch onto his body. "Logically, I would have to say no. Given the distances need to travel from the of reaches of space the energy requirements would exceed a spacecraft's capabilities …"

"Conventional wisdom," Mulder interrupted her, straightening back up away from her body. She immediately missed the heat of him being close.

" _But_ ," Scully emphasized before he could continue with his disapproving interruption. He actually didn't seem like he was surprised this time around when she said no. He also didn't look like he was about to be cynical or sarcastic about her comment either. She pushed on, knowing that her next words would throw him for a loop. "I want to believe.."

Scully watched as his eyes lit up and his smiled broadened.

"Do you?" He questioned, trying to hide his giddiness.

"I want to," she confirmed, before adding an overly flirtatious, "Feel like proving it to me?"

Mulder leaned back down, even closer than he had been the time before.

She felt absolutely woozy with him being so close.

"I'd love to," he whispered hotly in her ear before shuffling away quickly back to his desk.

She regained her composure, once again, before finally turning towards where he was. Scully watched as he set up his slideshow to show her. Instead of watching it, though, she took her time staring at him under the cover of the darkness that filled the room. She admired the way his grey shirt hugged his lean frame in all the right places. He was thinner now, than the Mulder she left behind. She hadn't noticed it over the years, but he definitely did bulk up compared to when they first started working together. The lean, taut muscles of his youth had slowly- ' _or will slowly_ ,' she reminded herself that she was in the past now. It hadn't happened yet, technically- turned into muscles of power and force. Both were strong, but just… different. She reveled in the fact that.. maybe.. if she played her cards _just_ right.. she might just get to feel how _both_ of those types of muscles would feel as they wrapped around her or as she skirted her hands over his bare chest…

The loud clicking of the projector interrupted her thoughts. ' _I shouldn't be fantasizing about him while he's right here,'_ she chided herself for her stupidity, graciously ignoring the pang of heat that was itching it's way up her neck and onto her cheeks.

"Are you alright?," Mulder looked over at her worriedly, the care and affection in his tone was evident.

' _Maybe_ ,' she thought again. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she responded with a tone that was lower and a hell of a lot more husky and seductive than she had meant. "I'm _just_ fine."

Mulder squirmed uncomfortably and glanced away from her blushing form. He quickly glanced one more time at her through his peripheral vision, but said nothing.

After his presentation was over and they had gone through the facts, they both started gathering their things to leave. It had taken all of Scully's focus during that time to keep a safe distance away from him. She was like a live wire right now and was entirely afraid that just the smell of his cologne might cause her to embarrass herself.

"When's our flight out?" Scully asked curiously as she went to head out the door. She needed to get away from him as soon as she could. She needed to get away before she did something stupid. She couldn't afford to ruin their new friendship. Not after only knowing him for a day. She wanted him to want her mind and her soul, too… not just her body.

It did feel weird though, because when Mulder looked at her or talked to her, it felt as if they were still in her old life. It felt like they had known each other forever and we're just waiting for the right time to be together. ' _It's probably just because I've known him for so long_.' Scully dismissed her silly thoughts.

"Uh, 8:00 AM.. so I'll see you at the airport at seven?," Mulder glanced up from his papers and noticed that she looked like she was on her way out for the day.

Scully nodded and turned to leave. She wasn't even ten steps out of their office before she felt a large, warm hand rest on the small of her back. She jumped at the friction she felt due to it.

Mulder laughed at her reaction, but said nothing other than, "I'll walk you to your car." Only then, did he also have the presence of mind to comment about the intimate place in which he had put his hand. "Uh, I'm sorry about the hand thing. I don't know what came over me."

Scully's head shot up to look at him. Walking her to her car was something he'd just started doing recently… in the _other_ life. Deciding to play it off and see if she got a reaction, Scully kept walking, ignoring her emotions about what was or wasn't about to happen. "It's okay," she mumbled in a small voice, just under her breath enough for her to claim that she hadn't said anything at all. "You used to do it all the time."

It took her a few seconds to notice that his steps were no longer falling in line with hers. She stopped mid-stride and turned around, surprise etching its way into her expression as she noticed that he was a good five yards behind her now. He was giving her the strangest look… It was a mixture of awe, surprise, and.. dare she say.. longing…?

They both just stood there and stared at one another. She was waiting for him to speak first. And he looked to be working something out in that pretty head of his. It dawned on her how odd this scene might look to passersby, but that was another good reason why they worked alone in the basement.

"Scully," he said reverently.. hopefully.. apprehensively.

Scully's heart lept. She knew that tone. She knew that nickname. "Mulder," she took a small step towards him.

Recognition registered on his features. "Scully," he said again, without the apprehension this time. In a single heartbeat, he was accelerating towards her quickly. Before she knew what was happening, Scully was being crushed by the weight of Mulder body. He had on arm around the small of her back, with the other one running up her spine and cradling her head. She tucked herself underneath his chin.

"God, Scully. I was so afraid that you wouldn't be here," he choked out into her hair.

' _It's him. It's him. It's him_ ,' Scully's brain chanted. But just to be sure, she asked him for confirmation. "Is it you, Mulder? Is it really you?"

"It's me. It's me, Scully.."

Now that she was reassured, Scully wrapped her arms around his waist and tugged him even closer towards her. "I never even really entertained the thought, Mulder. But God, I'm glad you're here, too."

"We should talk about what happened, Scully. How about I bring some dinner over to your apartment?"

"No," Scully rushed out, pushing him away from her. She couldn't and wouldn't be held responsible for her actions if he came over to her apartment. Not wanting to tell him that she was afraid she might jump him, she quickly thought up another excuse. "I, uh, we.. we both need to pack our bags for our flight tomorrow. And it's an early flight, too," Scully fretted. "We both will need to be up early." She turned away quickly, trying to hide the blush that was showing up involuntarily at the implied second meaning her brain supplied for her from her last comment. "I'll see you in the morning, Mulder."

Just as the elevator doors began to close behind her, Scully chanced a look back down the hallway. Mulder was standing there, still in the same spot, staring after her with a goofy grin. The doors finally clicked shut. She slid down the wall of the elevator until she was sitting down. God," she muttered to herself. "How am I supposed to work with him when all I want to do is grab him and touch him and make love to him.." This was going to be a very intereting case. She could only hope that Mulder wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

 **Other Stories:**

Lost and Found (in progress)


	4. Bellefleur

**§§§**

Heavy turbulence brought Scully out of her nap with a jolt. The shaking was so violent that the air masks dropped down from the ceiling. ' _God, I really hate flying.'_ Scully gripped the armrests of her seat tightly, causing her knuckles to turn white from the sheer force of her terror. She glanced over at Mulder, who had opted to sit next to her this time around, instead of across the aisle where there would have been three open seats for him to lounge across.

Another violent shake. The plane dipped a little bit. Scully gasped, every muscle in her body tensing up. Her eyes squeezed shut involuntarily.

A warm, comforting feeling suddenly enveloped her left hand, instantly relaxing her. That soft feeling quickly gave way to searing heat as she realized that it was Mulder who was responsible for it.

Forcing her eyes open one at a time, she looked over towards his body, jumping slightly when she found herself staring into his olive green depths. She snapped her eyes back down, away, looking anywhere but at him. God even just one friendly look from him made her insides quiver. ' _I have got to get ahold of myself! I can't work like this.'_

"It's alright, Scully," Mulder breathed into her ear, causing her to jump a mile high. "I've got you. Everything's gonna be okay."

Scully really wished that she could focus on his words. Surely, based on his tone, -which was slowly sinking into her skull, causing a reverberation effect that gave her goosebumps- they were words of comfort and reassurance. Oh, if only she could focus on those words. But no, all her damn hormone crazed, intimacy-deprived, love addled body seemed to be able to do was register the fact that his mouth was so close that she could feel his hot breath as it came out in short puffs against her earlobe and neck. The pure heat of his words were condensing and making her ear moist. ' _That's not the only thing that's moist_ ,' she thought dryly, trying to withhold a sly, yet frustrated, grin.

' _God, why did I let him sit next to me, again? He's driving me crazy!_ ' Casting a sidelong glance over at him, she quickly became distracted by movement. She watched silently as he maneuvered their hands so that his fingers could effortlessly slide between her own. He left his palm open, waiting for her signal that it was okay. The amount of respect for her and her boundaries that this action portrayed.. well it honestly made her want to cry.. and stick her tongue down his throat… Possibly simultaneously. She did neither of course. After all, they were technically on the clock and they still had yet to talk about what had happened. Plus, she didn't even know how he _really_ felt. Was their kiss from New Year's purely a friendly gesture? Or did he mean it as a promise for something more?

Scully settled for a simple action that would hopefully speak a thousand words. She gently closed her hand around his, watching as a megawatt smile lit up his features. He tried to look away from her, towards the aisle, but she saw it. She saw the smile.

His grip tightened as he pulled both of their hands into his lap. He said nothing. But as the plane continued to shake, Scully didn't feel scared. No, all she could feel was his hand in hers. It felt right.

 **§§§**

Scully thought about going to Mulder like she had before, when she saw the mosquito bites. But she knew him this time. He wasn't a near stranger. She felt too much for him to be able to innocently pull that off a second time. So instead, she took her shower, donned her fluffy red robe back on, and next next door to his room. She made sure that she had the implant with her, so it wouldn't get destroyed along with the rest of the evidence.

As she was knocking on his door, she had the presence of mind to go and grab her suitcase. She didn't need all of her new clothes to be ruined, too.

"Hi," Mulder said breathlessly.

Scully was already retreating away from the door. "Hold on…" She held one finger up at him as she slid the key into the lock to get back into her room. "I forgot to grab my suitcase."

"Are you coming onto me, Scully?" Mulder called from his doorway.

"You wish, Mulder," Scully called back to him. It was a good thing he couldn't see the blush that was sure to be on her face at the moment. When she finally came back out of h5e room and progressed into his, she waited until he shut the door to answer him fully. "I, uh, didn't want all of my new clothes to burn."

Mulder's brow furrowed. "What do you m-... Oh." his eyes grew wide, causing his eyebrows to lift in tandem. "I forgot about that part. It's a good thing you remembered."

"Yeah.." Scully didn't know what to say next. She knew the conversation that they needed to have, but didn't know how to start it. Deciding that procrastination was the easiest choice at the moment, Scully dropped her suitcase and looked to the ground, shuffling her feet slightly in place.

Mulder knew what she was doing. She knew that. He almost always knows when it comes to her. He knew she was stalling.

"Scully," he breathed gently, reaching out to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "You know we need to talk about this. We can't just ignore it and pretend it didn't happen. Because either did happen. And now we're here. We need to figure things out, together."

"I know'" Scully faltered as she exhaled the words. She hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath. "I know." She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, scooting herself backwards so that her back was resting up against the headboard. She tried not to think about the fact that she was in Mulder's bed. _Mulder's_ bed. Scully waited for him to sit down. "What do you remember, Mulder? What was the last thing? From the old life.. I mean.."

"Well," Mulder scooted closer to her, sitting on her left side so that his back was against the headboard, too. "I remember it being New Year's Eve… We were on our way back to my apartment. You were driving me home because of my arm. I remember a really big truck running the light by my house. You know the one. And after that I just remember pain and darkness… But then, you're never going to believe this, Scully… But I saw-"

"Samantha," Scully finished for him. She waited for his surprised nod of approval. "I talked to her, too, Mulder. I didn't see her, though. I just talked to her.."

"What-," he gulped. "What did she say to you?"

"She said," Scully turned to face Mulder. "She said that we didn't follow the signs. That we didn't do it right-"

"Yeah, she said the same things to me, too," he interrupted her.

"She said that God sent us back to fix our mistakes, to correct our wrongs," Scully continued. "She said that the whole point of us working on the X-Files wasn't to save her, because she's in a better place, but it was to, uh," she faltered.

"It was for us," he finished for her. "The reason we were paired together was for us. And also for us to stop the men who are behind this thing, Scully. We can do it. I know we can. We know who these men are this time around."

"Mulder," Scully sighed. She had been about to argue with him, but quickly realized that he was right. "You're right…"

"We should… we should make a list of all of the cases we need to avoid… and if we can't avoid them, then we need to figure out how to solve the cases without endangering you-"

"Or you," Scully added in. She wasn't the only one who had suffered through those last seven years. Scully slink ed further down the bed as Mulder's voice rambled on about planning. She knew she should be up, alert, and listening to him. This was important. But she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

Mulder didn't notice until about five minutes later, when she shifted in her sleep so that she could curl herself up into a tiny ball. He smiled and scooted himself down the bed so that he could be level with her. Dropping a chaste kiss on her forehead, Mulder allowed himself to relax.

 **§§§**

 _Ring. Ring. Ring._

Rubbing her eyes blurrily, it took Scully a good ten seconds to focus on her still-dark surroundings and realize where she was… and also why she wasn't alone. Mulder had himself spooned up against her back, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She had to admit, it was just about the best feeling that she could think of. Maybe someday, this will be how she wakes up everyday. Scully could only hope.

Wriggling slightly within his grip so she could pick up the phone, Scully reached out only to be pulled right back by his arms tightening even further around her waist. "Hello?," she answered groggily, trying to ignore the comfortable feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Uh, Agent Scully. I'm sorry; I thought I was calling Agent Mulder…"

Scully blushed, despite the fact that she was speaking to this person on the phone and not in person. Of course, nothing had happened… But there was a certain suggestive tone that the was speaker implying their statement with.

"Peggy O'Dell is dead."

"What?," Scully asked in an alarmed tone. "Who is this?"

"Who'ssit?" Mulder slurred, only having awoken because of his partner's worried voice.

She hung up the phone and twisted her body so that she could roll over and face him. _'Bad idea,'_ Scully realized a little bit too late. This change in position caused their hips to become aligned, which in turn allowed her to feel a certain hardness pressing against her stomach.

Mulder obviously felt it, too; because he looked away in embarrassment and loosened his grip around her waist.

Scully didn't know whether to be grateful or disappointed in his reaction. On the one hand, she was saddened by the fact that he wasn't holding her as close. On the other hand, she was grateful that he was thoughtful enough to allow her an escape option, not that she really wanted it; but in this case the thought behind the action was definitely more appreciated than the action itself.

Realizing that they had to get up, Scully slowly pulled away and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The clock on the nightstand read 2:00 AM. "I don't know who it was, Mulder. But I think I can remember us getting a call like this last time, too." She breathed deeply a few times. In. Out. In. Out. "Peggy O'Dell is dead. We need to go out there. I have an autopsy to do and you have witnesses to interview." Scully was avoiding his eyes still. She was afraid that if she even so much as looked at him- where he was lying in bed, where she had just been laying with him- that she might lose her self-control. So she didn't look at him. She knew she was avoiding things, but she couldn't help it. Even if they both wanted to- she still wasn't quite sure if he felt the same way or not- they didn't have time to talk it out anyway. They have work to do.

"Alright," Mulder nodded solemnly and get up off the bed. "Um, do you want to change out here?.. Or in the bathroom?..."

"Oh, um," Scully bit her lip nervously. She had forgotten that she brought her suitcase in here. The quick thought of: _'Oh, my God! I basically invited myself to share his hotel room with him! I didn't even ask him first! Regardless of the fire that's going to happen.'_ In the middle of her mental chastisement, Scully remembered that she needed to answer Mulder. "I would like to change out here, I think. If you don't mind?"

"Okay, I'll go, uh, brush my teeth and stuff…. Then..."

He didn't say it, but she had a strong inkling at what the 'stuff' might entail. After all, she had felt his 'stuff' when it was pinned between them not even five minutes ago.

They left for the crime-scene fifteen minutes later. Neither of them brought up what happened… or didn't happen… between them in the hotel room.

 **§§§**

Cold. Wet. Cold. Wet. Wet. Wet in more ways than one, but Mulder would never be the wiser on that fact.

There they were, standing in the freezing, pouring rain, for almost no reason at all.. Other than Mulder's excited state. It was cold. And wet. Scully was shivering. Her teeth were chattering. Her bones were aching. The only thing that was keeping her happy and steadfast in this moment was him. He was happy. They were laughing. It's been a long time since they had a moment like that. There was nothing in the world that could tempt her from walking away from this moment. She was right where she wanted to be.

She looked up into Mulder's eyes. Even through the blurry downpour, Scully could see how his smile reached all the way up to his eyes. She got lost in the mixture of emotions that were swirling inside those beautiful hazel eyes.

He said something.

She didn't hear it; she was too busy staring. She let out a laugh, even though she had no clue what he had said. It must have been funny or crazy because now he was laughing along with her.

He stopped laughing and took a step towards her.

She looked up at him again, her delirious cackle dying in her throat at the look on his face. It was a look that she knew well. It was no stranger. He made that same face in the hallway two years ago. And again on New Year's. She knew what was about to happen. Scully took a small involuntary step back as she tilted her head all the way up to see his.

"Scully." Mulder took another very small step towards her.

She took another small step back. It figured that now that he was trying to make a move that she wouldn't know how to react. Of course, she wanted it. But her body wasn't cooperating with her mind. She smiled up at him, as a sign of encouragement.\, despite her backpedaling.

Mulder saw her smile and his entire face lit up. "Scully, I want to kiss you."

' _Did he just say what I think he said? He must have because he's grinning like a fool and I'm sure I'm no better at the moment.'_ What should she say back to that? What could she say back to that? They'd never been very good at communicating feelings, her and Mulder. So she didn't. She didn't speak. She just lifted herself onto her toes and reached up for him, just as he reached down for her, as well.

A loud clap of thunder sounded off from the sky above them. The deep sound reverberated off of their bones. They tore apart from each other quickly, both startled by the intensity of the noise. Their lips never touched.

Scully looked up to the sky and waited. After she saw the sky light up with electricity, she turned to Mulder. "Two."

Mulder turned his worried gaze away from the sky and directed it back down towards her. "What?" Her cryptic statement confused him.

"Two," she explained. "Two seconds between the thunder and the lightning. The lightning hit two miles away. We should get out of here while we can."

"Yeah," Mulder agreed with a nod. "Okay."

 **§§§**

Their plane ride home was long and arduous. But it didn't feel so bad, in Scully's opinion. For one reason: Mulder held her hand when the plane took off. He knew that she hated the take offs and landings the most, she reasoned. The thing that made this time different was that he never let go of her hand afterwards. Through the whole eight hour flight, Mulder held her hand and didn't give a her rhyme or reason as to why. She didn't need a reason. She just needed him. They definitely needed to talk when they got home. They needed to talk about this. Scully was determined of that. She'd toughen up and stop chickening out. They'd talk about this. She couldn't help but feel though, as if this gesture of his was actually a promise. A silent promise of what was to come. A silent promise that they'd make things different this time around, better. That they'd make their second chance more worth living, instead of just merely existing in a world that they were fighting against.


	5. Squeeze

**§§§**

"Scully," Mulder sighed, as though he didn't really want to believe what he was about to tell her. "You have to go. You know you do."

"I know that, Mulder. But I don't want to. I have to; I know that. I do," Scully rushed out in exasperation. This case had always made her uneasy. "I just don't know how I'm going to sit across from him and _not_ strangle him. He's such an ass."

Mulder chuckled. "That he is, Scully. That he is."

"But at least… maybe… this time I know that beforehand.. and I was loyal to our work before, but now even more so than the first time." She was trying, and so far exceeding, into talking herself into going to lunch with Agent Tom Colton, ex-academy friend-turned major asshole.

"I believe in your restraint, Scully," Mulder smiled. "Besides, you need to get us in on this case so we can catch Tooms."

 **§§§**

' _I'm gonna kill him_ ,' Scully thought as the words that Tom Colton had just said to her. It wasn't so much the words chose to use that made her livid, so much as the tone in which he said then: with a smug, arrogant smile and a condescending lilt. That asshole.

"So, Dana," he'd said. "Have you had any close encounters of the third kind, yet?"

It took everything in her not to leap across the table and stab him with his own fork. "Is that what everyone thinks I do?," she replied coolly, hiding her anger behind aggressively shoving a bite of her waffle into her mouth.

"Well," he Colton teased, shooting her another arrogant, patronizing grin. "He is Spooky Mulder."

Her blood pressure skyrocketed. Oh, the choice words that she wished she could bombard him with. They'd have to wait. She needed to get her and Mulder on this case and get it solved before she flipped the bitch switch on Colton. Boy, was she looking forward to that. Instead of what her mind was screaming at her to say, Scully replied with a simple, "Doesn't that make me Mrs. Spooky?" Scully allowed her lips to pull upwards into a closed-mouth smile.

Colton was speechless. "What happened to you, Dana? Why are you on his side?"

" _Because._ As much as might hate hearing this, Colton, Mulder is a beyond capable Agent and a brilliant individual. I don't need nor want to sit here and listen to you belittle our work."

" _Your work?"_ Tom was quite baffled at her passionate defense of the man that everyone believed was clinically insane. "You've been working with him for what? A month or two? And you're already completely gung-ho for his silly mission?"

"Silly?!" Scully's voice rose a few notches. "Silly? _Really._ So, let me get this straight. You.. are in this job for the money, the title, and the respect. _Mulder_ is in this to find his goddamn little sister who was kidnapped out of his home _while_ he was babysitting. And you're telling _me_ that his quest is sillier? You only want material things, things that won't last. He's looking for an actual, honest-to-God person. He wants to find the one person in his family that he loved full-heartedly. He wants to make the world a better, happier place. He wants to help people, to save them. All you want are selfish, greedy, superficial things. So, don't you talk about silly to me, Colton." Finishing with a huff, Scully took note of the stunned expression on his face. She supposed that she may have lost her cool _just a tad._ However, she wasn't about to apologize for it. Not when she meant every single word that she had said. So, she ignored his hurt look and moved onto another topic. "What case did you want to show me, Colton?" Scully tucked a hair behind her ear. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I saw the case file that's in your jacket like half an hour ago. I'm a trained professional. I'm supposed to notice these things."

Almost as if he were in slow motion, Colton dragged his hand over to the file and handed it sluggishly to her from over the table. "I, uh, haven't been able to Crack this case. Thought you could take a look at it..," he stuttered out.

Scully took her time flipping through the file, re-familiarizing herself with the facts and circumstances. " _Mulder and I,"_ she stressed,"will be in later today to check out the crime scene. We can go from there." Hastily wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin, Scully got up and thanked him for the meal. She left before he could even lodge a complaint about her including Mulder in what he had _meant_ to invite _only_ her along to help with.

She reflected on her and Mulder's time back so far, as she walked out to her car. Not a lot has happened over the last month, actually. Well, yes and no. They've been taking things slowly, neither one of them seems to want to mess this up. Mulder hugs her when he sees her every morning, and again when they part ways in the evening. It was quite a welcome change. When they go out on their lunch breaks, they hold hands, as long as they're far enough away from the office. They still haven't had sex, but that was okay. Scully was happy with what they had now. Of course, she wanted him in every way. But she was also enjoying their 'courting' stage. She'd never done that with her previous boyfriends. Not that Mulder was her boyfriend, no that was too juvenile a term for what they had. It belittled that their connection. Partner was the only word that really fits. And plus, Mulder wasn't just anyone, either. No, he was the only one. He was. Right, while the few guys that she'd let into her life before him were wrong. They were all oh so wrong. Mulder was the only one for her.

 **§§§**

Looking around the crime scene, Scully let out a long breath. This case was definitely not one of her favorites.

"How was breakfast with Colton?" Mulder bent down towards the floor, sitting back on his heels.

Scully could tell that Mulder was trying to hide his interest behind a wall of fake nonchalance. "Well I had to stop myself from committing first degree murder, but other than that….." Scully teased, causing a wide grin to break out on Mulder's face. It amused her at just how easily he got jealous of other men, even other men that she openly dislikes. Then again, she knew she wasn't that much better. Especially now. It dawned on her that she'd have to deal with Phoebe and Diana and Bambi and White all over again now….

"What's wrong, Scully?" Mulder tossed a worried look in her direction.

Scully squeaked, "What?"

"Just then." His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "You sighed. Not like the 'I'm tired and I want to go home' sigh. But more like the 'Mulder you're in trouble' sigh."

"You know my mood based on my sigh?"

"Well, yeah… Especially the second one," he joked, trying to break the small amount of tension that was trying to build itself between them.

Honesty. That's what Scully was going to settle for. She promised herself that she'd do better and be better this time around, so blatant honesty was what she was going to convey. "I, uhm, just realized that I'm going to have to deal with all of your exes, again.." Scully admitted quietly. She looked down at the desk in order to hide her embarrassed blush. They still hadn't talked about what exactly their relationship was, yet. They were both procrastinating it; she knew that. "I'm sorry, Mulder. I know I shouldn't feel that way. It's not like I have a claim on you or anything.." Her voice drifted off. She had said the last part under her breath, both hoping and worrying about whether or not he caught the tail end of her admission.

"Scully," he sighed breathily, taking a step towards her.

Scully leaned into his hand as he laid it on her cheek. Her mind flashed back to a similar instance: back when she had first started getting treated for her cancer. The circumstances are entirely different now, thankfully. But the connection that flowed between them was the same. And his hand on her face, tenderly rubbing her cheekbone back and forth with his thumb, was the same.

"You do. Scully, you. You are the _only_ person who has ever and will ever have a claim on me." He fixed her with a lopsided, goofy, unsure grin. He looked like he was apprehensive of what she would say back to him.

Cupping her hand over his, Scully turned her face into his hand, laying a small kiss on the inside of his palm. "You're the only one who has a claim on me too, Mulder. Past, present, and future."

"Yeah?" Mulder let out a breathy chuckle. He sounded relieved.

"Yeah," she agreed, a smile lighting up her eyes. She laced their fingers together and bringing them down away from her face. "C'mon. We've got a crime scene to go see."

 **§§§**

"So, do you think this is the work of your little green men?" Colton pranced his way into the room with his hands on his hips.

"Excuse me?" Mulder cast a sidelong glance over at Scully. He was used to being called names and being made fun of by now. But she never quite got used to it. Especially when it was aimed towards him. Going off of their revealing albeit short heart-to-heart that they had before they left the office, Mulder supposed that maybe the other agents comments always made her seething because she felt protective of him. Mulder could only hope that that was the reason. He definitely felt protective of her, that he knew for sure.

"You know, little green men?" Colton wiggled his fingers in the air for dramatic effect. "They come from the sky and abduct people."

Scully bit down on the inside of her cheek, trying not to let her anger get the best of her, not unlike what had happened earlier at breakfast.

"Okay, several things, Colton. First off, they're grey, not green. Second of all, if you want to make it anywhere in this career of yours, you're going to need to cut down on the self-righteous prick behavior and actually show some respect to your fellow agents. Take it from me, I'd know. I mean, hey, look at where I'm at now? If you don't watch yourself you're going to one day end up fucking yourself over and you'll end up as the joke of the bureau, like me." Mulder stared him down until he looked away uncomfortably.

Colton stepped closer to Scully, which made Mulder uneasy. That is, until Scully stepped closer to himself in turn. Her action, while small, helped to ensure him that they were for each other. She'd told him, just as he'd told her, that there wasn't anyone else out there for her. It helped to ease his nerves, knowing that the feeling, at least on the surface level, was mutual; and that they could go as slow as they wanted to. Mulder really wanted to do it right. He wanted to court her, date her, (hopefully if she said yes) marry her, and then spend the rest of his life with her. He couldn't think of any other way he'd want to live. Whatever his future held, he wanted her in it, too. He wanted it to be their future.

 **§§§**

"Yours or mine, Scully?"

Scully froze, her hand stilling it's movements just as she was about to start the car. Did she just hear what she thought she did? "What?" Her tone of voice vocalize about five octaves higher than she had meant.

"Well, Tooms is on the loose. I don't remember the details about the first time we'll enough to say when he fixated on you. So yours or mine? We're not splitting up until we catch this monster, Scully."

"Mulder, I can do this on my own. You don't have to babysit me." As much as Scully longed to spend a night in Mulder's bed.. wait, did he even have a bed?... Anyways, as much as she longed for that, she was an independent, _well-trained_ and _highly qualified_ agent. She could handle her own, even if the thought of Eugene Victor Tooms made her skin crawl.

"I know you can, Scully. I don't doubt that for a second. Hell, you've saved _my_ ass time and time again over the years. But I want us _both_ to be safe tonight. And you know as well as I do that two is better than one. So, pick an apartment to go to, because I'm not about to risk losing you, Scully." Mulder reached across the center console, gently gripped the tips of her fingers, and pulled her hand towards him. He held her hand in between both of his own on his lap.

Scully froze as her heart rate accelerated.

"I've almost lost you too many times, Scully," he choked out. "We have a second chance. I can't lose you. You're all that I have. You're all that I care about. If you die, I die, Scully. Even if it's not corporeal, my soul would die. I just know it. Because every time you were in danger or toeing the line between life and death, I could feel myself breaking. I can't lose you, Scully. I can't. I just can't." There were tears running down his face freely now.

Scully pulled her hand out of his and set the keys down on the dash.

Mulder just cried harder. He was afraid that he'd messed it all up. He was afraid that she'd say it was too much, that he was too much. That maybe she was going to walk away?

But the next thing he knew, she had climbed over the center console that had been keeping them distanced for years too long. She swung a leg over his so that she was straddling his lap and crushed her body into his.

Mulder's arms tightened around her small trembling form, instinctively seeking out her warmth and her embrace. God, it felt good to hold her. She settled her head into the crook of his neck and immediately broke down into small, silent sobs.

They stayed there, just like that, for what seemed like just mere seconds, but was probably closer to about ten minutes.

"Mulder," came a muffled Scully from her spot where she had buried into his chest. "I'm sorry. I feel that way, too.. when you're in trouble or you run off without me. I don't want you to feel that." She sniffed loudly as he tightened his hold on her waist.

"Scully. It's going to be different this time. It has to. I'm not going to run off. And we're both going to keep each other safe." He wiped the leftover moisture away from her face. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he implored her. "So, which apartment are we going to, Scully?"

"Do you have a bed? Or just the couch?"

"Just the couch right now."

"Then mine."

"You got it, Doc."

 **§§§**

"Mulder, what are you doing?" Getting up from the couch, Scully meandered into the hallway, crossing her arms in amusement at the sight before her. Mulder was going through her cubboards looking for… something?

"Oh, hey, Scully. Well I came back here to get a pillow and some blankets but then I realized that I don't know where anything in this apartment is. I'm still used to the old one."

"Mulder?," Scully was confused. "Why are you looking for that stuff?"

"... To sleep?"

' _Oh,'_ she thought. ' _He's getting stuff to sleep put on the couch.'_ "Mulder, that's not necessary…" She said quietly, dropping her gaze away from his.

Mulder stilled his movements. "What do you mean, Scully?"

"I mean…." She still didn't look up at him, but instead reached out and grabbed his hand. With a soft touch, she led him further down the dark hallway. "I thought.. that maybe you'd want to sleep in my bed?.." Scully chanced a look back, searching for his eyes as he trailed behind her.

"No, I couldn't do that. You shouldn't sleep on the couch this is your place. I'll sleep on the couch; it's perfectly fine, really. I mean, I sleep on the couch any-"

"Oh, Mulder." Scully giggled.

She actually, honest-to-God, _giggled._ Mulder just couldn't believe his ears.

"Ya' know.. sometimes I think you're a little hopeless." Scully grinned at him and continued tugging him back into her bedroom.

"What?" Mulder was completely clueless.

"Mulder," Scully whined. "I meant that I wanted you to sleep in my bed. With me." She watched through the dark lighting as Mulder gulped.

"Uh.. Uh, uh.. You sure, Scully?," his voice audibly cracked.

"I'm sure, Mulder." She stopped mid stride and pulled his arm forward, sending him to sit on the edge of the bed. She noted that Mulder had his panic face on. "Mulder," she laughed. "Calm down. Just sleep. That's it. Just sleep this time."

"This time?" He squeaked.

"Don't worry. I think we both know that now, when we're in the middle of trying to solve the Tooms case, isn't the right time." Her face contorted into a thoughtful expression. "Do you think we'll know when the right time comes, Mulder? Do you think we'll know when we're ready?"

Nodding mutely, Mulder looked around the room. "Um, I'll just go get ready for bed then…" He pointed awkwardly towards the bathroom and ran a hand through his hair.

"Mm'kay," Scully replied as she rifled through her drawers for a pair of pajamas that wouldn't make him run in the other direction. She was out of luck, apparently at some point in the last week or so Missy had come and deprived her of all of her comfy oversized pajamas. All that she was left with was lingerie and slinky silk camisoles with matching shorts. Great.

She changed quickly into a lavender camisole tank top and shorts. The edging on the top and bottom of the shirt was all lace, while the bodice was silk. The bottoms were also lavender silk.. and coincidentally were about three inches too short for her liking. She felt as if her butt was about to make an appearance if she so much as took a deep breath. 'Isn't this what you wanted? Isn't this why you went out and bought new lingerie and sexy pajamas?,' a little voice inside her head that sounded strangely like Melissa chided her. Of course this is what she wanted. And she was pretty sure that Mulder wanted it, too. But they'd just had a discuss in which they agreed that now was not the right time. Yet here she was: wearing revealing nightwear right after she invited him into her bed. Just lovely. She really hoped that he wouldn't freak out and insist on sleeping on the couch. Ever since that night in Bellefleur… the second time…. when she fell asleep in his arms even for just a mere few hours, she'd been craving more. She had felt so safe and comfortable in his arms. And she slept better too, which was amazing. She didn't think that she'd ever slept that we'll in her entire life.

Hearing the bathroom door start to squeak open, Scully made a break for it and dove under the covers before he could see what she was wearing.

"Hey, Scully? I'm just gonna go make sure the deadbolt is on the front door.." Mulder threw over his shoulder as he began to walk down the hallway.

Nestling herself deeper under the covers, Scully tried to hide how anxious she actually was about having him sleep in the same bed with her.

She was almost asleep by the time he crawled into the other side of the bed. Her senses vaguely registered his presence, other than the tell-tale shifting of the mattress as he climbed in. As the bed dipped down with his weight, her small frame naturally slid a little closer towards his. 'Purely gravity,' she tried to silently convince herself.

Her final conscious thought before she fell asleep was about how nice it felt to be in his arms, as he draped himself around her waist and snuggled into her hair, quietly asking her if it was okay for him to hold her this way.


	6. Ice Cream and Cuddles

**A/N: This is a continuation of the scene from last chapter.**

 **§§§**

The first thing that hit Scully's senses was the bright sunlight that had enveloped the bed around her. Opening one eye, she realized another reason as to why she was so warm. It wasn't from the sunlight at all. She was laying directly on top of Mulder! Not even halfway or from the side… somehow she had managed to get herself right smack on top of him. The position reminded her of how small she is compared to him. Her head was tucked under his chin, and yet her feet didn't even reach the bottom of his shins. And his arms had her wrapped, holding her tightly to him.

She carefully picked her head up and was startled to see two green eyes staring back at her. "I'm sorry, Mulder," she blushed, moving to get off of his chest.

"No," he sleepily stated with a small amount of urgency, arms tightening further around her waist. "Stay. It's my fault you're up here anyway. Plus, it's nice. I like you here," he sheepishly admitted.

"I like me here, too," Scully confessed with a smile, sheepishly ducking her head back down to rest under his chin. She let her left hand settle on his chest, next to her face. "What do you mean it's your fault that I'm up here?" She let her fingers dance through the sparse chestnut colored hair on his chest.

"Well… you had a nightmare last night.. and I couldn't wake you. And you started to settle down eventually… I thought your nightmare was over. But then you kept moving around and inching closer to me". Mulder smiled at the memory. "Eventually you flung yourself over my side, but you still wouldn't settle down completely. You kept wiggling around and stuff. So, I picked you up and put you on my chest; and then you finally calmed down and went back to sleep."

"Oh." Scully was sure that her face was bright, bright red. She had no recollection of any of those things. A shiver coursed through her body as Mulder began to slowly drag his fingertips up and down her spine.

"Chilly? Scully?"

She could hear the grin evident in his tone. "No," she piped quietly.

Mulder hummed in response, moving one hand higher up on her back, so that his fingers curled around the side of her ribs; the other hand moved lower. Almost down to her ass, Scully noted, but not quite. The only way she could describe it was that it was ' _his spot_ ': low enough to be more than friendly, but high enough to be appropriate.

The ringing of the phone caused them both to jump. Bracing one arm on the side of his head, Scully leaned over towards her nightstand to grab the phone. " 'ello?," she answered with a sleepy lilt.

"Dana? I'm sorry! Did I wake you?" It was Melissa.

"No. No, you didn't." Scully let her legs fall down around Mulder's, encasing them between her thighs. She sat up and settled her bottom down against his stomach, trying not to think about what would happen if she scooted even just a few inches backwards.

"Who'ssit?" Mulder asked, on the verge of falling back asleep, with a morning voice so deep that it made Scully want to melt.

Scully froze. She was sure that her sister probably heard him. "I.. uh..," was all she was able to get out before her sister shrieked from the other side of the line.

"Who was that?!" Melissa was more than excited. "Dana. Katherine. Scully! Is Mulder there?!"

Scully smacked a palm to her forehead, closing her eyes. Gosh darn, now she was going to be interrogated. "Yes, he's here," she said slowly, opening one eye only to see Mulder quirking the side of his mouth up at her, an expression of question and amusement. "It's Missy," she put her hand over the receiver and told him quietly. A loud sentence of gibberish blasted over the ear piece. Scully tipped the phone away from her ear and grimaced. "Missy, calm down!" She spoke into the receiver without putting the speaker back next to her ear.

Missy's tone dropped in volume, but not in elation. She began to ask questions in rapid fire. Most were too personal for Scully to even repeat. A sudden sense of rebellion and silliness overcame Scully's senses. It had been a long time since she'd been silly, especially with her sister. So, just to get her to shut up, Scully picked something that she knew would shock Melissa into not calling back for awhile. "Hey, Miss. Ya' know, I really gotta go 'cos I'm kinda busy sitting on top of him right now.." Scully hung up quickly.

Upon seeing Mulder's surprised expression, she promptly burst out in a giggle. "I'm sorry," Scully laughed. "She was just asking _so_ many questions.. that's the first thing I thought of, and I wasn't lying exactly... It should shut her up for a bit, at least." Seeing Mulder's expression turn from one of amusement to one of horror, Scully stopped rambling and looked down at him questioningly. "I'm sorry. I just felt like being silly.. I didn't mean to-" Sitting back, she was about to ask him what was wrong when she realized- or rather felt- what he was horrified about. ' _Oh_!' Scully shuddered internally, beyond elated that Mulder was having such a reaction to her. At least, she could only hope that it was because of her. A tingling sensation started up low in her belly. Feeling her hormones take over, Scully made a conscious decision to use this situation to her advantage. She had been deprived of human contact for far too long. And now that it was possibly in her reach, she was ready to take a hold of it and never let it go again.

Mulder sputtered in mortification. "I… I.. I'm sor-"

"No."

"No?," his eyes flashed up to hers with uncertainty and fright.

"No, Mulder. Don't say you're sorry. You have no reason to be sorry." Scully smiled. "I like it."

"Yeah?," Mulder huffed with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, yeah." Scully drew out her words as she leaned slowly down towards his lips. As she was moving, she let her hands slide down his shoulders, down his arms, only to grip his hands with her own and bring them up above his head.

His hands tightened around hers and shifted so that their fingers were interlocking. Mulder could feel her breath caressing his lips in waves. He needed to taste her, but she wasn't coming any closer.

She was waiting. She wanted him to make the final move.

He released her hands and moved them down so that he was cupping her jaw on one side and her cheek on the other. "Scully," he breathed- almost like as if he were in prayer- just as he pulled her face down the final few millimeters.

Their lips danced slowly, sensuously, taking their time to remember the feel, the taste, the sound. They were both committing every detail, every nuance, to memory. It felt like an out of body experience. Neither of them knew that anything could feel this good, feel this right.

Scully shifted her body slightly lower, just enough to feel his desire for her through his boxers, as it settled against the skin of her thigh. She let out a loud, content sigh.

Almost exactly when Mulder traced her bottom lip with his tongue, silently asking for the entrance in which she was about to grant him, the phone rang.

Scully groaned into his mouth and pulled away. "Miss, what part of our last phone call told you that we wanted to be interrupted?," Scully asked gruffly, their previous activities adding a hint of a gravelly tone to her already scratchy, deep morning voice. The color drained out of her face. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, Sir. Right away, Sir. I'll call him, Sir."

Practically throwing the phone onto the hook, Scully let out a low groan and dropped her head against Mulder's shoulder. "Fuck."

"Who was it?" Mulder apprehensively wrapped his arms around her middle, unsure of where her head was at after what had just happened.

" _That_ was our boss. Our boss, whom I basically just insinuated to that I was in the middle of having morning relations with someone and that he interrupted us." She leaned back away from the comfort of his body, sitting back into her original position on his chest. "Mulder," she said apologetically. "We have to go into work. They caught Tooms. Apparently he fixated on another agent that was on the case instead of me this time."

"Is the agent okay?" Mulder tentatively dropped his hands down to her hips.

Sensing his hesitation, Scully covered his hands with hers, caressing his skin with her thumbs, letting him know that his touch was more than welcome. "Yeah, the agent is fine. But they need us to go in anyway."

"Okay.." After waiting a few seconds, Mulder realized that Scully wasn't about to move any time soon. "What is it, Scully?" ' _Maybe she's regretting this already,'_ he thought solemnly.

"Can we just-," she looked shyly down at his chest, gnawing on her bottom lip. "Would you mind holding me for just a little while longer?," she whispered self-consciously, like she believed that what she was asking for was too much or unreachable.

Mulder was floored. He never expected her to be so scared about something like asking him to hold her. He knew that she was strong willed and liked to put on a tough exterior, but everyone, even the toughest of souls, needed to be touched and comforted every once in awhile, too.

It wasn't like she was saying 'I love you.' … but yet, she kind of was… in a way.. Since he could tell how nervous she was about her request, Mulder quickly pulled her head down onto his chest and answered her with raw honesty. "I'd hold you forever if I thought you'd let me."

He missed the bright smile that graced her lips.

 **§§§**

With Tooms under arrest and on his way to being institutionalized, Mulder and Scully were left to their own devices for the weekend. When they got back to her apartment, Scully had suggested walking down the street to get ice cream.

They were walking side by side, hips and shoulders bumping occasionally from standing too close together. Neither of them minded.

Surprise for Scully came in the form of Mulder's hand, winding its way over to intertwine with hers. She was shocked for a second, and let it show. Looking up at his face, she couldn't see any trace of reaction his actions. Scully glanced back in front of her and allowed her hand to mold around his. It amazed her how well their fingers and palms fit together when his hand was easily twice the size of hers.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?" She hummed in response, still partially lost in her thoughts.

"Will you take me to meet your parents?," Mulder asked hesitantly.

It took Scully's brain a second to process his words. "Wait, what?" Her head shot up to look up at him.

He squeezed her hand nervously. "I want to meet your parents..," he reiterated.

"You.. want to meet my parents.." Scully repeated his request slowly. "Seriously?"

"Yes, Scully," he said with a small, exasperated chuckle. "I never got to meet your dad in the other life. And I know you loved him a lot and he influenced who you are greatly. I want to meet him. And I miss your mom. I know she doesn't know me this time around, yet… but she treated me more like a son than my own mother ever did.. And I just.. please take me to meet them." Mulder knew he was pleading, but meeting Scully's dad was both equally important and terrifying to him.

"Hey." Scully stopped walking and tugged him to stop too. "C'mere." She pulled him forward further and enveloped him in a bear hug. It was a little awkward since she only came up to his shoulders when she wore her flats, like she had tonight. But they made it work. It was perfect for them. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't know you felt that way." Letting him out of her embrace so that they could keep walking, she continued. "We've been having family dinners on Sunday nights lately.. Just me.. Miss.. And mom and dad. Charlie is in Vermont with his wife, so we only get to see them on holidays. And Bill is deployed until November.. so it'll just be us five. I'll call mom in the morning and tell her that I'm bringing someone."

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"For making the effort not to shut me out. I know things are changing between us.. but I'm not scared Scully. And it's a weird feeling because… relationships…" He wasn't quite sure how to word it since they weren't one thing or another, and hadn't technically labeled themselves or their relationship. ".. usually scare the living crap out of me, Scully." Mulder stopped and turned towards her. He took her face in his hands as he continued. "But, Scully. Everything about you is different. I've never felt this way about anyone. And I know I'll never feel this way about anyone else, ever. It's you. It's only you. It's always you."

Upon seeing her watery half-smile, Mulder leaned down and gently tugged her bottom lip into his mouth.

She grinned into his kiss and pulled away. His heartfelt speech had surprised her and she didn't have the words to answer with back with equal fervor at the moment. She wanted to take her time and think about all that she wanted to say to him. So instead of verbally answering, she just rubbed her thumb over his cheek and kissed him chastely once more.

When they finally pulled away, Mulder grabbed her hand. He was confused when she pulled away, however. But his concern was immediately silenced when he felt Scully's small arm wrap around his waist. It dawned on him, based off of her reactions today, that maybe Scully really didn't know how he felt about her, or how he saw her. He vowed to himself right then and there, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, that he was going to spend the rest of his life showing her just how wonderful and loved she was.

 **A/N: Hey guys, sorry for all of the proofread g mistakes lately.. And the slower chapters.. my computer broke and consequently.. so did my phone. But fear not, my new phone came in today so I will be able to proofread these more thoroughly now haha. Hope you liked this chapter. Next chapter will be meeting the parents, The Jersey Devil, and introducing Ellen into the storyline. Happy reading :)**


	7. One More Thing?

**§§§**

"So.. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Mulder shuffled his feet awkwardly as Scully set her purse down. They'd just gotten back from getting ice cream and Mulder was getting nervous. It was late. He didn't know what she wanted.

"What?" Scully turned around and gave him a confused look.

"I said that I guess I'll see you tomorrow… Do you want me to pick you up? Or do you want to drive?"

"Mulder," she sighed, beginning to walk closer to where he was standing in the entryway. Gently grabbing his hand with the tips of her fingers, she pulled him further inside the apartment and shut the door. "Stay. Please?"

Mulder looked up at her, searching for any hint of her being kidding. "Stay?"

"Stay." Scully smiled.

They walked hand in hand back to her bedroom before Scully stopped and remembered something. "Um, why don't you get into bed… I forgot that I have to call Missy quick."

"You're going to call her right now? It's kind of late…"

Scully laughed. "She's a night owl. She'll still be up for a few hours."

"Oh, okay.." Mulder felt kind of weird getting ready to go to bed in _her_ _bed_ without her.

Scully went out into the living room while Mulder began getting into bed. She waited for Missy to pick up the line.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey, Miss. It's me. Sorry about-"

" _Dana, tell me everything! I need details like yesterday!"_

"Miss," Scully laughed. "Not now. Maybe tomorrow." Her tone dropped in volume as she uttered the last sentence.

The clues clicked together in Missy's head, allowing her to figure out what was going on. _"He's still there. Isn't he?"_

"Yes, he is," she breathed.

" _Dana, you definitely owe me answers…"_

"Why don't you just ask him yourself?" Scully asked her sister dryly.

" _I haven't met him, Dana. He doesn't know me."_

"Oh, he knows you alright.."

" _What_?" Missy was beyond confused now.

"Oh, nothing. From the other life.." Putting her hand to her forehead she continued her statement. "You can meet him tomorrow. I can't believe it, Miss, but he actually _wants_ to meet dad."

" _Brave man_." Melissa observed absentmindedly. " _He must really love you if he wants to meet dad. Wait! Is he going to ask you to marry him?!"_

"No! Missy! Good Lord. Nothing has even happened really. He's definitely not going to do that. We haven't even…. Besides, even if I wanted that, I don't think he's really the marrying type.."

" _But he loves you?"_

"I don't know, Miss. I think so. But we haven't gotten to that point yet… I hope he does… Okay, I have to go now. I don't want to leave Mulder alone in my bedroom for too long. I was just calling. Actually I don't really know why the hell I called. I guess I just wanted to talk to you."

" _Okay_ ," Missy chuckled. " _But I expect major explanations tomorrow about all of this. Bye, Dana."_

"See you tomorrow, Missy. Bye." Walking back into the bedroom, Scully became anxious at what she would find. Navigating through this new closeness and intimacy between them was nerve wracking, but exciting. It was equally the best and scariest thing that she'd ever done. But she knew that this was what she wanted. He was her forever and she wanted him to know that. Opening the bedroom door, she was surprised at how at home and natural he looked sitting up against the headboard of her bed, reading a book, in his boxers. The sheet was draped haphazardly around his legs, while the comforter was pushed down towards the end of the bed.

Looking up from the book he was reading, Mulder gave her a half smile as she entered the room. "I was starting to think that you might have decided to run."

"Not running." Scully smiled back at him through the dim lamplight. Walking over to her dresser, she made a decision- hopefully a good one.

Mulder gasped when he glanced back up from his book and saw that Scully was changing right in front of him. He was both astounded and grateful that she felt comfortable enough to do that. Her back was facing him, but he knew that she knew he was watching. He studied her form without regret as she pulled her shirt up and over her head. Her figure really was incredible.

He'd only seen her naked a few times, but all of those times weren't really situations in which he could enjoy her shape and the soft feel of her skin. Every time it happened, he was solely focused on keeping her alive or getting them out of danger. Now that he was free to look at her without having to worry about one of them dying, he couldn't help but drool a little bit. How could he have gotten so lucky as to be allowed to witness something as beautiful and sacred as Dana Scully getting ready for bed?

His eyes trailed after her newly pajama adorned figure as she headed into the bathroom. By the time she came back out a few minutes later, Mulder was laying down flat on the bed, with his head on the pillow and his book starting to droop lower and lower. He was slowly beginning to nod off.

His senses were immediately woken back up, however, when Scully took the book out of his hands, placed his bookmarker back in where he had left off, and pulled the sheet back on his side. She climbed in and settled down on top of him, exactly how they had woken up this morning.

"Well just make yourself comfortable there, Scully." He joked as she tucked her head underneath his chin.

"I just did." She retorted back, swirling his chest hair around with her index finger. "I told you I liked it here earlier. So, sue me."

Mulder laughed. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to her statement, but her words sure did make his heart feel like it was ten sizes bigger. "Goodnight, Scully." Mulder kissed the top of Scully's head and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep his subconscious registered her whispered reply of: "I love you."

 **§§§**

Waking up on Sunday morning came about very slowly and groggily for the both of them.

Initially, Scully had woken up around 8:30, with Mulder spooning her from behind with his arms wrapped around her, one hand on her stomach and the other hand on her breast. Enjoying the touch and feel of Mulder holding her, she was too comfortable to move and just snuggled back into his embrace as she drifted back off to sleep.

Mulder had woken up when she readjusted her body closer to his. He tightened his grip on her and pulled her as close as he could towards himself. It felt, to him at least, that no matter how closely he held her, she was never close enough. He didn't think that it would ever feel as if she were close enough.

Mulder woke again a little after ten, due to Scully rolling over in her sleep. She snuggled deeply into his chest, causing him to smile. A sleepy Scully was probably just about the cutest thing he'd ever seen. He'd probably never tell her that, though. For some reason he didn't think that the ever accomplished, pint sized human that was laying in his arms would appreciate being called cute. Kissing her forehead, Mulder brushed the hair away from her face.

Her eyes opened slowly, a small smile gracing her lips as she realized where she was and who was holding her. "Mmm," she hummed contently, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Mulder froze slightly at the feeling of her wet lips brushing against his skin. It wasn't really like a kiss, but her mouth was crooked open slightly, just enough for her breath to come out and greet his goose-bumped skin in short, hot puffs of air. He leaned away slightly, not wanting to feel his erection. "Scully," he said lowly, caressing her back in small circles. "We should probably get up, now."

"No." Scully mumbled against his skin defiantly. "Don't wanna. Too comfy."

Her childish grumpiness caused Mulder to chuckle. "Okay."

" 'Kay." She let her eyes close as she tried to find her way back to sleep.

"Hey, Scully?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you, too."

Scully's head shot up faster than a rocket. "You what?"

"I love you, too," he repeated. "Last night you said 'I love you' before we fell asleep. I'm just saying it back. I mean it, Scully. I love you."

"You do? You really do?" Scully couldn't hide the hopeful yet still skeptic undertone in her voice.

"Ugh, you didn't believe me last time I told you either," Mulder sighed and began to draw patterns along a slot on her hip where her shirt had risen up. "You know this is just like you, Scully. That's somewhat comforting that you don't believe me, actually."

"What do you mean last time, Mulder?"

"Last year, Scully… after the boat.."

"Oh, my God! You remember that? You were serious? I thought that had been the drugs talking, Mulder!" Scully squealed out, kissing against his chest playfully with the heels of her hands as she sat up.

"Since apparently you still never believe me when I tell you _anything,"_ Mulder exaggerated. "Would you mind if I tried to show you?"

Scully sucked in a breath, crossing her legs Indian-style underneath her as she brushed an errant strand of red hair behind her ear. She wasn't sure what was about to happen. "O- okay…"

Mulder, too, sat up. However, he turned to face her and slowly encroached upon her space. His legs came up around her, encasing her thighs between them. He kept scooting toward until her folded knees hit the sides of his torso.

Without saying a word, Mulder carefully leaned towards her, giving her enough space and time to say no or lean away.

She did neither of those things.

His right hand came up to caress her cheek as he pushed through the final space that separated them. Much like yesterday, their kisses were slow and sensual. Mulder was being passionate, but at the same time ever so gentle. He didn't let his tongue meet hers, no matter how much she tugged on his lips and pulled at the hair on the back of his head.

In that moment, Scully believed him. He really did love her. Truly. Wholy. Irrevocably. She felt all of the love, admiration, and permanence flowing from his body as his lips continually touched hers.

His hands soon slid down from her face and hair, down her arms, coming to rest on her hips. He broke their kiss casually, winding down until they were merely just pecking at each other. When his head pulled away from hers, she wasn't ready for it. Her mouth tried to follow his as he retreated.

"Do you believe me now?" His voice sounded deep and rough.

It made her shiver with desire. "I believe you." She exhaled deeply, closing her eyes, trying to savour the flavor of him. "I believe you," she repeated.

"Will you let me take you out to lunch?"

Scully cracked her eyes open. "Like a date?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Something like that." He thought for a moment. "How about I go home and change. Pick you up in two hours? Wear something nice… But not fancy," he added as an afterthought.

"Okay," Scully ran her thumb across the outline of his lips. "Just one more thing before you go?"

"Hmm?"

Scully unfolded her legs and laid them on top of Mulder's thighs. Scooting herself as close as she could get, she leaned back in towards him. With both of her hands around his waist, she yanked his body closer to her.

Mulder grunted with the force of her pull.

Her tongue came out to greet him almost immediately after their lips touched again. Forcing her way into his mouth, she began to explore something that she'd been waiting for for a long time.

His tongue twisted around with hers, fighting for dominance. Hers deemed itself the winner this time, as Mulder finally relinquished control and let her do what she wanted. He groaned as she sucked his tongue into her mouth, wrapping her legs together behind his back, and beginning a slow grind against his still hard erection.

Her bad were scratching lightly against the back of his neck, driving him crazy. He felt as if he were going to explode. All of these new sensations, they were too much. He felt dizzy.

He stopped her as she made a grab for his belt buckle. "Scully. Scully," he breathed. "Slow down."

His resolve almost broke as he watched her luscious lower lip pop out in a sad pout.

"Why not?" She asked sadly.

"God, Scully. I'm trying to do the right thing here, and you're pouting at me like I just took away your favorite toy. You're killing me."

"I'll remember that," Scully quipped mischievously.

"Oh, I'm sure you will," he laughed.

She ran her nails up the back of his head, causing his body to tingle with want. "What do you mean You're 'trying to do the right thing'?"

"I want you more than anything, Scully. You. Not just your body, although I really _really_ am looking forward to that part , too." He glanced at her with a longing once-over. "I want what's up here." He tapped the side of her head. "And what's in here." He tapped roughly over where her heart would be, while avoiding her breast.

"Mulder you've got what's in both of those places already.."

"Not legally, I don't." Mulder said smugly.

Scully's eyes grew wide. He didn't mean… no he couldn't. Could He? "What?" she shrilled.

"You heard me, Scully. I'm not doing you until there's a ring on this hand!" He tapped his left ring finger.

If Scully hadn't been so shocked, she probably would have laughed at his comedic joke. "You're serious?"

"Dead serious, Scully." He waited a second before adding, "Just to be clear, this isn't me proposing. This is me telling you that I want to date you, then I want to marry you, and then I want to spend my every last living day with you, Scully."

"But.. But.. Mulder! No sex?" Scully's voice took on a small pitiful whine.

Mulder shook his head. "Nope. No sex. I want to do this right. Scully, we've been given a second chance. And I want to do everything differently with you. You're different than the other girls that have been in my life in previous years.. and I feel differently about you, too; I want us to do this," he signaled between their bodies. ".. the right way. Because we're right for each other."

"Ueeeaghh." Scully clunked her head against his shoulder. "Mulder, do you _realize_ how long it's been since I've had sex?"

"No, but I'd love to discuss it with you…" He pushed her off of him as he disentangled his legs from hers. "...later. After our date. Or after we go to dinner. I'm going to go so you can get ready." He leaned in, cradling her chin in the space between his thumb and index finger, as she sat in the middle of the bed and pouted. "I love you," he reminded her, kissing her chastely, but sweetly, on the lips.

"Love you, too," she mumbled against his mouth.


	8. Meet the Parents

**§§§**

It was 5:30 PM by the time they pulled her car up to her parents' house- Mulder was driving, of course. Lunch had gone great. Mulder took her out to the park to eat a picnic lunch, and then they went to the National Gallery of Art to look around. Mulder loved the Greek sculptures, while Scully was partial to the Western American Landscape paintings. It had felt absolutely amazing to be out in public, as a couple, doing couple-like things. They held hands and stole kisses. They gazed at each other and made everyone else around them uncomfortable. It was blissfully wonderful. Mulder was encouraged by the fact that Scully didn't seem particularly adverse, at least on the outside, to the idea of marriage. He knew that he shocked her, but truthfully, it was something that he'd been thinking about for years now. He always knew that he wanted to marry her, but they hadn't actually been together. And besides that, Mulder hadn't even thought that she would be the type to want a marriage, as Catholic as she may be.

"Scully?" Mulder turned towards the passenger seat. "What if your dad doesn't like me?"

"Oh, Mulder," Scully chuckled slightly. "Don't worry. He'll like you. Just stay away from the aliens topic this time around. Don't wanna scare him too much on the first impression. Other than that, just be yourself." She took his face in his hands and leaned in slightly towards him. "Caring. Loving. Protective. Funny. Smart. Accomplished. Brave. Heroic. Mulder."

"Okay. Okay, I can do this."

"Yes, you can." Scully opened her car door, preparing to get out.

"Wait, Scully?" Mulder called after her. "One more thing."

"What is it, Mulder?" Scully was anxious to get inside the house and see her family. It still felt surreal every time she saw her dad or Missy.

"When they ask us how long we've known each other? Do we say month and a half? Or seven years?"

"Oh." Scully sat back down in her seat. "I hadn't thought of that. I don't know, Mulder. On the one hand one month sounds ridiculous and there's no way we could be as close as we are after that short amount of time. Plus, I don't want to have to forget or ignore our first seven years together.. But on the other hand, if we choose to say seven years, we'd have to lie about what year we met in and how we met…" She gnawed on her lower lip, deep in thought. "What do you think, Mulder?"

"Honestly," he breathed. "I think we should say seven years. That would make it…. 1986.. Where were you in 1986?"

"I was in college still. At UM…"

"Okay, and I was fresh out of Oxford."

"How did we meet then?"

"We met…."

"We could say that we met at the National Gallery of Art. And then say that that's why you took me there for our first date, because that was where we met all those years ago."

"Okay, that could work…"Mulder grabbed her hand and toyed with the bracelet that she was wearing. "I'm always going to be partial to our real story, though."

"Me too, Mulder. Me too."

Realizing that it might look suspicious for them to be sitting out in the car for so long, they got out and made their way up to the front door.

After knocking, Scully turned quickly to Mulder and fiddled with his tie, trying to straighten it and fix the knot.

"Scully." Mulder whined.

She moved onto straightening the collar on his shirt, too.

"Scully," Mulder laughed, swatting her hands away from him.

"What? Mulder, grow up. I was just trying to-"

"Ahem," came a noise from the doorway.

Mulder and Scully both turned their heads to see that the door had opened during their show of domesticity and squabbling. There, in the doorway, stood a smirking Maggie. "Hello, there." She greeted them.

"Mom, this," she put her hand on Mulder's bicep. "Is someone that is like you to meet. This is Fox Mulder."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Scully." Mulder smiled and extended his hand to Maggie.

"Likewise." Maggie shook his hand and invited them inside. She kissed Scully on the cheek before moving away from them. "I'm going to go finish setting the table. I'll be right back." Maggie threw the last sentence over her shoulder as she ascended into the kitchen.

Scully led Mulder deeper into the house by the hand. She immediately let go and screeched, however, when she saw who was sitting in the living room. "Charlie! Anne!" She rushed forward to hug them both. "What are you guys doing here?!" She hadn't seen them in what felt like years.

"We wanted to come down and visit before dad has his bypass surgery." Charlie explained. "How did you know? That he needed to go in and get checked out? He didn't really have any of the symptoms for heart blockage or an oncoming heart attack.."

"I'm a doctor, Charlie," Scully answered without actually answering. "It's what I do." She looked around the room. Charlie and Anne had a three year old daughter, who seemed to be nowhere in sight. "Where's Alyssa?"

"Out back with dad." Just then, he saw the figure standing in the background. "Hi!" Charlie greeted Mulder. "I'm Dana's brother, Charlie." He reached his hand out to shake Mulder's.

"Fox Mulder. It's nice to finally meet you, Charlie."

"Finally?" Charlie was curious about this man that Dana had brought home with her. Fox Mulder would be the very first boyfriend, or even male friend, that she's ever let the family meet.

"Yeah. Scu- Dana and I have known each other for a long time." Mulder was nervous. He already knew that one brother was going to hate his guts. He didn't want both of Scully's brothers to hate him.

"Oh?" Charlie backed up. "Here, let's all have a seat on the couch. So, when did you meet my sister?"

"March 3rd. The National Gallery of Art. 1986." Scully piped in, answering for him. She took a seat on the sectional right next to Mulder. Charlie was sitting on the loveseat with Anne.

Anne's eyes lit up when she saw how close they were sitting together. They had the whole couch to occupy, but yet Dana chose to sit practically on top of him on the same cushion.

"Dana, there's a whole couch there that you can use, ya' know." Charlie teased her.

"I'm just fine right here." Scully looked over at Mulder and felt an electric surge pulse through her when their eyes met.

"Hello," Charlie jokingly snapped his fingers in front of him. "Stop making goo goo eyes at him, Dana. I want to talk to the poor man."

"Oh, shut up, Charlie." Scully playfully flared at her little brother, a red hot flare coloring her cheeks despite her words.

Mulder grinned and hesitantly took hold of Scully's hand, absentmindedly playing with her fingers.

She smiled up at him, happy that he wasn't going to shy away from their newly found upscaled level of physical affection in front of her family. Looking back over to the loveseat, Scully found her little brother and his wife grinning at them so wide that she was sure their jaws had to ache.

"Just friends, huh?" Charlie quipped.

They were saved from having to answer by the front door opening. "HelloOOoo?" Missy sang loudly as she began to walk through the house.

"In here, Miss!" Scully yelled back at her, pulling Mulder up to stand so she could introduce them.

"Hey, sis!" Missy sauntered in and gave Scully a hug. Stepping back, she took Mulder in. "I've been told not to call you Fox," she joked.

Mulder felt like the air had been temporarily suspended within him. That was exactly the same thing she had said to him when Scul- when Scully was in her coma. He didn't like thinking about that time. "Hi, Melissa," he stuttered out, offering his hand to shake.

Missy ignored his hand. "So," She grinned wickedly and continued to talk rather loudly. "You're the man who's been sleeping in my little sister's bed, huh?"

Mulder choked on his air.

"Missy!" Scully whispered harshly as Mulder stood next her in a stuttering shock. "What the hell is the matter with you!" She looked back at Charlie and Anne, who were sitting silently behind them, trying not to laugh at her horror over Missy's inquiry.

"Well, it's true. Isn't it?"

"Well… yeah. But not in the sense you're talking about! Miss come on," Scully pleaded. "He's here to meet the family. Don't be crude right now."

"Fine. Fine." Missy dismissed her comment with a wave of her hand.

Maggie appeared from the kitchen. "Okay, dinner's ready! We're going to eat out on the porch since it's so nice out tonight." Just like that, she disappeared back into the other room, leaving the rest of the family to sort themselves outside.

"Hey, I'm gonna go wash my hands quick." Mulder leaned in from the side and kissed Scully's temple. "Which way is the bathroom?"

"Straight down the hall. First door on your left," Scully smiled.

Walking outside, Scully found that everyone had already made it out there. She looked around the yard, finding her dad and Alyssa down in the grass playing catch. Her eyes teared up at the sight of her niece. She was so small. It felt weird to know what she was going to look like all the way up until she was ten years old. Seeing Alyssa just reminded her of the empty piece that resided in her heart. She wanted children. More than anything. Well, almost anything. Mulder was the only one that topped that list.

"Auntie Dana!" The small girl practically screamed as she flew over towards her favorite aunt. "I missed you!" She laughed as she catapulted herself into Scully's arms.

Scully buried her head into Alyssa's neck to hide her tears from the rest of her family. She carried her over towards the table.

"Sit by me, Auntie Dana?" Alyssa asked sweetly as Scully set her down in an empty seat.

"Of course, baby." Scully replied maternally. She hadn't meant to sound so motherly, but her need was so pent up inside that she just couldn't control it.

Charlie and Anne smiled as they watched Scully settle Alyssa in her seat and begin to fix her a plate without a second thought.

"You look like you're ready for motherhood, Dana," Anne teased, noting how maternal Scully was acting towards her daughter.

"Oh, I'm more than ready for that," Scully answered without thinking first. Once she realized her words, her head shot up in guilt and surprise. A blush that was sure to make her face look like a cooked lobster heated her skin.

The table went completely silent. Missy was sitting back in her chair, grinning like a fool at Dana and the situation she just caused for herself. Maggie looked both curious and concerned… and dare Scully say, a little hopeful? Anne was about ready to burst with excitement, while Charlie and Ahab were both frozen in place. Their expressions were blank. Charlie's fork was hanging lamely in mid air in front of his face. Alyssa was the only one who was carrying on like normal, eating her food without another care in the world.

"Dana?" Charlie asked slowly, drawing out the letters in her name. "Got something to share?" He nervously eyed their father, expecting him to snap out of it any second and react.

Now, Scully already knew that Mulder tended to have bad timing. But tonight, his timing was _really_ poor. He chose that moment- that exact moment- to step outside and join them.

He had told Scully that he was washing up for dinner. But what he had really been doing was giving himself a pep talk. He was feeling nervous about meeting Scully's dad. Knowing how close they were and how much she loved her father, he really hoped that he could make a good impression. So, with his boosted confidence in check, Mulder waltzed outside and took a seat on the other side of Scully.

It wasn't until he sat down that he noticed how quiet and tense the table seemed. Even though it would probably be awkward because of the terse air, Mulder still nodded over to Scully's dad, who was busy shifting his eyes back and forth between Mulder and Scully "Hello, Sir. It's great to finally meet you. I'm Fox Mulder, an old friend of Dana's."

Mr. Scully's eyes shifted back and forth even faster.

Mulder wondered what had happened before he came outside.

It didn't help the situation at all that Scully hadn't given them an answer.

"Dana?" It was her mother who addressed her this time.

"Yes?"Scully squeaked. The

Is situation wasn't really going well, at all.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Scully decided to avoid the topic, especially in front of Mulder.

"Don't play coy, Dana. You know what." Maggie admonished her as if she were a teenager who forgot to do her laundry.

"I promise. There's nothing to share. Nothing at all. Now who wants some mashed potatoes?" Scully tried to quickly change the subject.

Missy must have understood or sympathized with her because she jumped into the conversation, effectively ending Dana's torture, for not, at least. "So did I tell you all about this lady I met last week that thought she was a cat?"

"I'm, sorry. Did I miss something?" Mulder was incredibly lost. Did he do something?

Scully touched his arm. "I'll tell you about it later, okay?"

Nodding in agreement, Mulder turned his attention to Scully's family. "The lady really thought she was a cat?"


	9. Misconceptions

**§§§**

Wiping his mouth off with his napkin, Mulder expressed his gratitude for Maggie and Mr. Scully's generosity and hospitality. "Dinner was absolutely lovely, Mrs. Scully. Thank you so much for having me."

"Fox, call me Maggie."

"Well, thank you, Maggie." It warmed Mulder's heart that even though this dinner had been somewhat of a rough start, for a reason he was still unaware of, Maggie still liked him enough to be on a first name basis. She was the only one he'd allow doing that. Well, actually... he'd let Scully do it, too… but she hasn't really called him that much since he told her not to all those years ago. Maybe she would use it for _special_ occasions. Mulder had to hide a bashful grin from forming on his face. He didn't want to have to explain to Scully's family that the reason he was smiling so wide was because he was looking forward to having sex with their daughter.

Dinner really wasn't all that bad. The food was delicious, as per usual when cooked by Maggie (he'd spent a lot of time with her when Scully had gone missing). So far, he and Charlie were getting along great. Charlie seemed to be a really cool guy. They both liked the Knicks and baseball. He had a great sense of humor and a relaxed easy-going attitude, both of which his older brother most definitely lacks out on.

"Dana?" Maggie interrupted his thought process. "Will you help me with the dishes?"

Scully looked cautiously over at Mulder, like she was afraid to leave him alone. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Of course, Mom."

"Anything I can help with, Maggie?" Mulder didn't want to be impolite.

"Oh, no, Fox. You stay out here. You're our guest. Don't worry about the clean up. Dana and I have it under control."

"Well, okay then." Mulder knew better than to cross mama Scully. He knew by experience, of course.

Scully inwardly groaned when her mom shot Mulder's offer down. She knew what was coming. Her mother has cornered her. All alone. She was about to be interrogated. This wasn't going to be fun in the slightest.

Quietly following her mother into the kitchen, Scully decided that it was best to wait until her mom spoke to say anything. She wasn't quite sure what was running through her head at the moment. She didn't want to misinterpret anything or dig herself into a proverbial hole.

"I've been noticing that something's different about you lately, Dana. And I think I know why…"

"Mom-"

"No. No," Maggie held up her hand. "Let me finish." She took a step closer to Scully and laid her hands on top of Scully's shoulders. "This boy you brought. This man. He's the reason why you've been so much happier lately, isn't it?"

"Well, yes…" Scully answered hesitantly. She relaxed slightly, starting to think that this wasn't what she thought it was going to be about. "He _is_ part of that solution. But there's more to it than just him, Mom." ' _There's also you, and Missy, and Dad,'_ her brain added silently.

"I thought you were going to say that, Dana." A weird look passed over Maggie's features. Scully couldn't identify what it was and was slightly concerned about what her mom was about to say.

"Thought I was going to say what, mom?"

"Dana," Maggie encircled her within her arms in a warm, welcoming embrace. "Honey, are you pregnant?," she spoke softly against her ear.

"What?" Scully pulled out of her mother's embrace quickly. "Mom, what about my behavior this past month led you to think that?"

"Well, you've been happier, more emotional. You've been coming around more often. You brought someone home to meet us- which is a first, just to let you know; and then you went ahead and told everyone that you were ready for children, as you were catering to Alyssa!" Maggie wasn't mad, but her voice raised slightly out of anticipation and hurt for being left out of the loop for something as big as this. "What other conclusion was there for me to come to?"

"Mom, those things are all just because of how much I love spending time with you guys and with Mulder… I wanted you guys to get to know him." Scully looked out of the kitchen window and into the backyard. Mulder was out on the grass playing chase with Alyssa. She watched as he caught up to her and swung her up into the air. Alyssa's fit of happy giggles could be heard all the way in the house. The scene was so sweet. Scully hadn't seen Mulder engage like this with a child since he met Emily. He really would make a fantastic father. God, she hoped that he wanted kids, too.

"Dana? You never really answered me?Are you pregnant?"

"No. But you have no idea how much I want to be, how much I'm ready for it, how much I long for it…" Scully exhaled, speaking under her breath.

"Oh, honey," Maggie felt for her daughter. She pulled her back into the safety and comfort of her arms. "What caused all this, hmm?" Maggie rubbed Scully's back up and down in a wide, soothing motion, as if she were a child again herself.

Scully wasn't really sure what to say, or what she could say. Of course, she wanted to tell her mom the truth; but that probably wasn't a good idea. The less that people knew, minus themselves and Melissa, the better. It made her sad that there was this barrier between her family and her, but it was a price she'd gladly pay if it meant keeping her family intact. She decided on a slight variation of the truth. "Mom, I had a scare a long time ago…"

"With being pregnant?"

"No, just the opposite, to be exact. I went into the doctor's office because I was having issues with my periods being regular; And they basically ended up telling me that I would never be able to have kids."

"Oh, God, Dana! Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"It was a rough time for me, Mom. I didn't say anything because I didn't want the pity… and I didn't want to believe it. I didn't realize how badly I wanted kids until I was told I wouldn't ever be able to have them anyway." She took a deep breath. It felt like a bittersweet release to be able to share these things with someone close to her. "But, then a few months ago.. things changed. And I think we have a good chance at being able to have kids.." Well, it was a variation of the truth.

"We, Dana?" Maggie looked somewhat surprised, but also like she was kind of expecting it.

"Oh," Scully hadn't realized that she'd accidentally let that pronoun slip. "Uhm, yeah. We."

"So you guys are planning on having kids? And you're together?" Maggie was trying hard to understand the situation that her daughter was finding herself in.

"I.. haven't really.. talked to him about it, yet… But he wants to marry me, mom." She watched Maggie's face turned upwards into a crooked smile. "And I want to marry him, too. I'm in love with him. And I know that he loves me. I've never felt like this about anyone. He's the one, mom."

Maggie was astounded. Not only had her daughter just admitted that she was in love, which is a sentiment that she had never heard her daughter utter in the past. But she also just said that Fox was her soul mate. The Dana that she knew was very logical; she didn't believe in such things. That was more of Missy's forté. At least, it was until now. It seemed to her that her daughter was happy and that she was loved. She could tell that just from the energy that the two of them together emitted. It was intoxicating in a way, the way they so obviously cared for each other. "So, you're getting married?" Maggie stated, more than asked

"Not yet. He brought it up this morning... but said that he just wanted me to know how he felt and that it wasn't a proposal.. just, yet."

"This morning?" Maggie couldn't help the dig. She knew it would make Dana blush. She was right, it did.

"Oh, uh. Yeah, he… slept over… last night."

"And the night before." Someone sang from the back of the room.

Scully turned around to see who was eavesdropping. "Missy! How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, just about…" Missy was being mischievous. ".. The whole time. I told you this morning and last night that you owed me answers about all of this." She smirked.

"Dana, is that true?"

"Well, yes, mom… But not in the sense that you guys are all thinking about."

"So you still haven't slept with him?" Missy piped in from behind them, moving forward so she was completely included in the conversation.

"No, Miss! I haven't." She added the next bit just for her mother's benefit. "I haven't had sex since college. And Mulder and I don't plan on having sex until we get married, anyway."

"Is Fox religious?" Maggie couldn't help but be curious. She was glad that they were making the decision to wait. She was also glad that her daughter wasn't sexually active. If not for religious purposes, for the sake that it honestly just meant so much more to wait.

"No, he's not really religious. He just.. wants us to wait.. because…" she was trying to find the words to explain it in the correct sense. ".. because he knows that we're meant for each other; and that we should do it right, because we're right for each other."

"And you agree with that, Dana?," Melissa asked.

"Well, yes. I do. I wasn't very excited about waiting until we got married… but he proved his point. And I can agree with him on it. So we're going to wait," Scully stated firmly.

 **§§§**

Meanwhile, out in the backyard, Scully's dad had approached Mulder while he was playing with Alyssa. "Let's take a walk, Mr. Mulder."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Of course, Sir." He turned to Alyssa. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Nooo, don't go Mr. Fox!" She clung onto his jeans.

"I have to go talk to your grandpa, squirt. But I'll come back and play with you when I'm done."

"You promise?"

"I promise." He peeled the small child away from his leg and stood up to accompany Scully's dad.

"I'm afraid we didn't really get a proper introduction," Scully's dad stated calmly once they got a bit away from the house, just enough to be out of earshot of any little or curious ears.

"No, I guess we didn't." Mulder turned towards the intimidating man. "I'm Fox Mulder, a friend of Dana's. It's very good to meet you, Sir. Dana talks about you a lot. It's good to finally attach a face to the stories."

"Nice to meet you, Fox-"

"Please, call me Mulder." Mulder asked somewhat sheepishly. "I, uh, never really cared for the name Fox much… Used to get teased a lot when I was little."

"Ah, so is that why Dana calls you Mulder?"

"Partly. The other side to it is that I call her Scully. She thought it fitting that she do the same for me."

"Interesting…"

Mr. Scully and Mulder kept on walking.

"Call me, Bill, by the way. So, how's Dana doing? You're also her new partner at the FBI aren't you?"

"Yes, Sir. I am. And truthfully. She's an amazing Agent. She's a better shot than I am. And she's one hell of a doctor, too. It's only been a month and she's saved so many people's lives, Sir. You should be proud. She's an inspiring person. I'm grateful that I met her."

"That's good to hear. Can I ask you something, Son?"

"Sure, Sir. Anything."

"Are you and my Dana together?"

Mulder exhaled raggedly. "Yes, we are," he breathed in airily.

"Can I ask what your intentions are with my daughter?"

"Well.. my intentions are to ask for her hand in marriage, Sir." There, that question wasn't so hard to answer.

"Are you asking for my permission?"

"No. Not yet. I want you to get to know me first, Sir. I couldn't possibly expect an honest, well thought out answer when you hardly know me."

"In all fairness, Son," Bill Sr. began. "You don't need to ask me. Trust me when I say how appreciative I am of your wanting to ask me. But Dana is an independent, strong-willed woman, which I'm sure you already know. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She'll do what she wants no matter what anyone else thinks about it."

"That I do know, Sir." Mulder chuckled nervously.

"Now that we've got all of that straight, we can go back now. That's all I wanted to talk to you about."

They began to walk back towards the house.

"Oh, and Mulder? I've seen the way she looks at you. And how close she stays when you're near. She loves you. She's never _ever_ been that way with someone, that we've seen. Welcome to the family."

 **§§§**

"Well, that was…. eventful.." Scully was the first to talk, choosing something neutral to break the silence of the car ride home. It was dark out outside, as well as in the car. The only source of light was the passing street lamps that lit up the interior of the car. Ever so briefly illuminating their intertwined hands that were resting together in Scully's lap.

"Yeah, it sure was something. Not really what I had thought it would end up like; but I think it turned out okay.. in the end…"

"What did my dad say to you? I know he took you somewhere to talk. I was watching you play with Alyssa while I was talking to my mom."

"It went well. That's all I'm going to tell you."

Instantly, Scully's brain was on high alert. This was suspicious. What were they talking about that Mulder couldn't tell her about It? She knew what she hoped it had been. But that was too far a reach. They hadn't been together for very long. It was too soon for him to be ready. Wasn't It? He had said that he wanted to date her first. Scully naturally assumed that that meant for the usual, standard, 'normal person' amount of time.

Mulder, sensing her sudden focus of curiosity, managed to change the subject swiftly before any more questions could be asked by her. "Why was the table so quiet and tense when I came outside?"

"Uh, can we wait to discuss that until we get home? It's not really something I want to talk about while we're in the car."

"Um, yeah. Okay." Now Mulder was the one who was on high alert. What could have possibly have happened in the whole two minutes that he was gone?

 **§§§**

Setting the keys on the kitchen counter, Scully avoided eye contact with Mulder. "Get ready for bed first?" She started to walk down the hallway without waiting for him to answer.

Mulder walked up behind her slowly and put his hands on her hips, turning her to face him. "Scully, no. Don't push it away. Whatever it is, you can tell me… Would it be better if we sat on opposite ends of the room? Or maybe closer together? Talk to me, Scully. Don't me away."

"I…" Scully stuttered. "I didn't mean to- it's just hard for me to…" She inhaled and exhaled deeply for a few moments. "Okay. Okay. Will you stay close. I think it will be easier."

"Whatever you need, Scully." Mulder hoisted her up into the counter, so she was more eye level with him. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he asked her, "Is this good?"

"This is good." Her legs hooked behind his hips, ensuring that he wouldn't move away from her or distance himself while she explained it to him. "Uhhhmm," she hummed. "So, when I walked outside, Alyssa came running towards me- I'm her favorite aunt-"

"Of course, you are," Mulder chuckled lovingly.

"And hugging her made me realize that I can still conceive children as of right now, in this life. And I know that I'm twenty-eight and I've just _really_ started my career… but in my head, I'm still that single, thirty-five-year-old woman who was told that she couldn't have children and that she couldn't raise one of her own flesh and blood." Tears were running down her face now, she just knew it.

"And that's why everyone was acting odd?"

"No," Scully laughed lightly through her tears. "They were uncomfortable because I accidentally made them think I was pregnant. And that that's why I was bringing you to lunch, to meet the family because you knocked me up."

"What?" Mulder couldn't help but let his eyebrows raise up. "They thought that the only reason you brought me was because I got you pregnant?"

"Yeah," she chuckled a little louder this time.

"Well no wonder it was so quiet." Mulder agreed.

"Yeah, I set them straight, and they believed me."

"Well, that's good. We don't want to lead them on falsely. Or else they might not believe us when it's the real deal." He was trying to sound laid back and nonchalant about it, but he knew that his voice was full of excitement and anticipation. Mulder knew what she wanted. He figured it out a few minutes ago, when she was talking about Alyssa.

"You mean-?"

"Yeah, I mean…." Mulder paused briefly. He knew that it would make her feel better if he showed his hand first. She didn't like to feel like she was asking for too much, or being selfish. They both wanted the same thing. She just didn't know it, yet. "Haven't you ever thought of a little girl with red hair and brown eyes? Or a little boy with freckles and sandy brown hair, eyes as deep and blue as the ocean, just like his mama?" Mulder traced his index finger lightly over the freckles on her cheeks and nose. "Have you ever thought about the way that our kids would sound when they laughed or the way they'd call us mommy and daddy?"

He watched her as she processed his words. With a quivering chin, she clawed at his shirt, trying to pull him closer. He stood his ground temporarily. He wanted to see if she was going to say anything first. If she was, he wanted to be sure that he saw the look on her face when she said them. Her eyes always conveyed the truth, no matter what her mouth said.

Scully couldn't find her voice. Her thoughts were muddled. The only thing running through her mind was the words 'mommy and daddy' and 'our kids'. She felt Mulder wiping the excess tears away from underneath her eyes, where they had accumulated. Scully could feel his eyes boring into her skull. She pulled hard on his shirt. He didn't budge. Apparently, he wanted her to be the one to move. Maybe she'd just surprise him.

Surprise him, she did, when he was suddenly burdened with her weight wrapping around his entire torso. She had jumped forward onto his body, clinging to him as if he were her life source.

"I have, Mulder." She whispered hoarsely into his neck. "I do. I think about them all the time."

He folded his arms across her back, supporting her as he carried her back into what he was beginning to think of- even after spending only two nights- as their room. He sat down on the bed and rolled them over so that he was lying on top, in the V of her legs. "Me too." Nothing more needed to be said. They had the rest of the conversation while staring into each other's eyes, into each other's souls. He lovingly brushed a strand of her red hair back behind her ear, gently caressing the entirety of her face with the tips of his fingers. Once he reached her lips, she surprised him again by squeezing her thighs around his hips and flipping them over.

She was on top now. Kissing his lips once, "Let's get ready for bed first, so I can kiss you until I fall asleep?"

Mulder grinned.


	10. Devils and Birthday Cakes

**§§§**

Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mulder stopped in front of the driver's door. They had just come out of a dead end meeting with the county morgue and the local sheriff. "Hey, Scully? Whattya' say, we grab a hotel, take in a floor show, drop a few quarters in the slot, do a little digging on this case…"

Scully looked up at him over the roof of the car, eyebrows raised.

"Okay, we can skip the floor show," Mulder joked.

"Oh, Mulder." Scully shook her head in amusement. "I have to be back in DC.."

"Got a hot date?"

His tone was flirty and disinterested, but looking into his eyes, Scully saw the wave of panic and hurt that washed over his features. Even after all they've been through, all they've promised each other, he still didn't think he was good enough. He thought she was going to come to her senses one day and leave. "Mulder, come here," she sighed.

Her tone did nothing to abate his worry.

He slowly walked out of the street and stood in front of her, ready for her to delve into her goodbye speech. She was standing on the edge of the curb in front of the car, with him standing on the asphalt below. The difference in where they were standing evened out their heights just slightly. She now came up to his nose, instead of his shoulders.

Placing her hands on his jawline, she spoke softly, reassuringly, to him. "Mulder, I have to go to Trevor's birthday party.. you know, my Godson? Ellen's oldest kid?"

"Oh." Mulder looked down at the ground, embarrassed for the wrongful way his mind had turned.

Using her index finger under his chin, Scully tilted his face back up to meet hers. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Can I-," Mulder began excitedly l, before checking himself. "I- I mean.. Are you sure? I wouldn't be in the way?"

"Don't be silly." She admonished him. Her tone turned serious, "Mulder, when are you going to accept that I'm not leaving? I like being here, with you. I'm always going to be here, right at your side. Okay?"

She waited for him to nod.

"Okay, come on. Let's go. We have to drop by mine and change before we go. And I don't want to be late." She reached up and pecked his lips, a surprising action for both of them. They usually tried to keep their emotions and their physical shows of affection away from their work. One could never be too careful when you weren't sure if someone was watching. But today, Scully knew he needed the contact. And to be honest, she did, too. She always did.

It was now month three of their new start and like they had agreed, they were taking it slow. Typically, they spent all day at work together. When it would come time to go home for the day, they would either go to his or hers. They watched movies, went out to dinner, went to museums, parks, bakeries. They did everything together. Except sleep.

As much as it pained both of them, they each stayed at their own respective apartments at night. Not because of boundaries or watching eyes, but because they found that they honestly couldn't sleep in the same bed together without getting frisky. And don't get it wrong, frisky was good. But every time that it happened while they were in bed… which was just about every night. Well, let's just say things would escalate _very_ quickly. So, their solution was: sleep apart. It was insanely difficult. Both wanted to sleep next to the other; and both found it almost impossible to sleep alone, now.

In order to better cope, Scully would steal a few of his running shirts and wear them. When they ran out of their ' _Mulder smell'_ she would give them back to him, and then he'd have something to sleep by that smelled like her. He felt silly of course, snuggling a t-shirt.. but their relationship was going _so_ well, so far. He didn't want to give in now. Not when he had everything planned out for how he was going to ask her to marry him. Their future together was on the horizon, and he didn't want to lose sight of it for a hasty, lust filled decision. But, God, how he wanted her..

 **§§§**

"Dana! Hi" An average height, curly brown-haired, pretty woman of about twenty eight or nine years old opened the front door enthusiastically. It felt like she hadn't seen her best friend _in ages_.

"Hi, El!" After giving Ellen a hug, Scully turned around, glancing the street for any signs of Mulder. He'd dropped her off in front of Ellen's place so she wouldn't be late, while he went looking for a parking spot.

Ellen teased, "Expecting someone?"

"Yeah, actually…" Scully looked up at her friend cautiously.

Ellen grinned. "Is this someone a male specimen?"

Blushing, Scully tried not to smile. "He might be."

"Is he staying?"

"If you're okay with it?..."

"Does he like kids? 'Cos there's a swarm of really hyper ones inside my house right now.." Ellen deadpanned.

As if to prove her point, a loud thud l, followed by a loud round of yelling sounded off from somewhere within the house.

Scully laughed, touching her lips with the back of her hand delicately, trying to mask it. "Yeah, he likes kids."

"Okay. You wanna wait out here for him?"

"Umm.. no.."

"No?"

"No. I know you want to know all about him. And I'd rather you interrogate me than him."

Ellen gasped in false insult. "I must say I _am shocked_ , Dana Katherine Scully. Who ever could you possibly be talking about? Certainly not me!" She finished her acting off with a laugh.

Walking into the house, Scully could _feel_ the curiosity that was brewing within her friend's mind. "Let me say hi to Trevor first," she began to walk deeper into the house, leaving Ellen by the kitchen. "And them, I promise, I will tell you all about him."

"Don't take too long I might have a stroke from not knowing!" Ellen called after her retreating form.

 **§§§**

"So, let me get this straight…" Ellen began. "His name is Fox. He's been friends with you for seven years, during which I have never met or heard of him," She looked pointedly over at her friend with slight irritation. "And you're only now dating him. He's also your new partner at the FBI, whom you told me was _very_ cute. He likes kids…." She hummed as if searching through her head for any other possible tidbits of information about Scully's partner. "Am I missing anything?"

"Nope." Scully grinned as she heard the doorbell ring. "I've got it!" She bolted upright out of her chair, anxious to see Mulder. It didn't matter that she'd just spent the whole day with him. In her mind, just going fifteen minutes without seeing him or hearing his voice was like being tortured.

Flinging open the door with gusto, she was greeted by a stranger. Well, not a stranger. It was the boring tax attorney that she went out on a date with in the past life. He had asked her out at this party and she said yes, and then regretted her answer immediately. Her face fell. "Uh, hi. Are you here for Trevor's birthday party?" She tried to sound welcoming and hospitable, but she wasn't sure if she was pulling it off or not.

"Yeah, I'm, uhm, just here to drop off my son… if that's okay."

Peter? Or maybe Paul? Or Danny?... Scully couldn't remember his name… looked her over head to toe and smiled when he reached her face. She wasn't too happy about it, and she was sure that he could probably tell by the arched-eyebrow glare she was giving him.

His smile immediately disappeared and he stepped back a little bit, slightly thrown off at the blatant disapproval in her expression and body language.

She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot once., before increasing her arms and plastering a fake smile on her face. She forgot that she needed to pretend to be the gracious hostess. After all, she was the one who had opened the door. And now here she was barricading the poor man and his son outside because he checked her out. "Uh, I'm sorry. Please, come in." She opened to door wider in order to give them room to walk inside, groaning inwardly when she realized that the father had taken her quick recovery smile as a good sign.

He said goodbye and then turned back to Dana. "Listen, uh.."

"Dana," she supplied for him.

"Dana.." He said slowly as if he were savoring how it felt to roll her name off of his tongue for the first time. "Dana, would you like to go out to dinner with me? Maybe tomorrow?" He smiled confidently over at her.

"I-," Scully stuttered, unsure of how to turn him, Mulder came to her rescue, as he approached the door behind her. Their gazes locked with one another and an entire conversation passed within the space of a second.

Mulder understood her feelings of panic and stepped in to help her out. "Hi, baby. I missed you," he crooned, stepping into her personal space and laying a passionate kiss on her lips.

Even though she was slightly thrown off by his show of affection, she kissed him back with equal fervor, letting her hand rise up to gently caress her cheek.

He pulled away quickly, not wanting to over-do it with the PDA. He knew Scully wasn't very appreciative of it. But it was the only thing that he could think of that quickly. Turning around, the awkward, regretful look on the stranger's face told him that it was worth it.

"Uh, sorry." He apologized. "I didn't realize you weren't single.." He didn't wait for an answer; he just turned around and walked back outside, shutting the door heavily behind him.

"Thanks," Scully said quietly, grabbing onto the folded collar of his dress shirt. "I didn't quite know how to get out of that one; he threw me off," she explained.

"Anytime, baby." Mulder tested out the pet name, wanting to see her reaction to it when it was an act.

She giggled.

That wasn't what he was expecting.

"Say it again?"

"Really? I thought that maybe wouldn't like that…" Mulder dropped his hands down to the sides of her hips, kneading the flesh underneath his thumbs.

"I don't. But I think I like it when you say it." She dragged her fingernails up the back of his neck, causing him to shudder.

"Okay, baby." He whispered softly, leaning down to bit lightly on her earlobe. He tugged it between his teeth, Not letting go until he heard her whimper. He loved it when she made that sound. It was so delicate, so feminine, so… arousing.

"God," she groaned quietly. "You make my knees weak." Dragging both hands around his neck and down to his pecks, she shoved him backward. "Not here. There's kids running around everywhere. We don't need to scare them." She smiled at his look of disappointment, which quickly turned into agreement. Scully grabbed his hand. "C'mon. I want you to meet Ellen."

"Right here," came a voice behind them.

Scully and Mulder turned around guiltily.

"Uh, how long were you standing there, El?" Scully inquired, her face heating up with embarrassment.

"Long enough for me to decide that I approve of your man, here." Ellen teased, smiling while she extended her hand out to shake Mulder's. "Hi, I'm Scully's best friend, Ellen."

"It's very nice to meet you, Ellen. I'm Dana's…" Mulder faded off, unsure of what to call himself when in the presence of her friend. Boyfriend sounded immature and unserious. Partner sounded either gay or professional. He couldn't use the term finance or husband hey, for obvious reasons. What other terms of endearment were there left?

"He's my Fox." Dana laughed, hooking her hand through Mulder's arm.

Mulder felt his heart skip a beat and his ears tinge with heat. He wasn't expecting her to say that, and it must have shown because both of the women giggled at him. But, damn if he didn't like her calling him ' _her Fox'._

 **§§§**

She was on her way over to use the bathroom when a couple little boys went rushing past her wearing gorilla masks. The second one ran head first into the wall and fell backward. Worried that he'd hurt himself, Scully rushed over to pick him up. Taking him into her arms, she took off his mask and ran her fingers soothingly through his hair. "Oh, c'mon. It's okay. It's alright. What happened? Did you bump your head? Hmmm?"

Watching from the the kitchen entrance as she consoled the little boy in her lap, was Mulder. His expression was soft. His mind, reeling. His emotions, brimming. His thoughts were on the future. Their future. Would this be what she'd be like with their babies? He wondered. It was all flippant though; he already knew. Based off of her interactions with Emily, this little boy, and even those satanic Eve girls… she would be a fantastic mother. And from what little he got to see into the future of their old life, she would have been one to their son, too. If only for a little while. Mulder couldn't even begin to articulate how grateful he was that they were given a second chance, no matter how it had come about.

"What? What happened?" Ellen asked worriedly as Scully walked into the dining room with the small boy in tote.

"Jungle warfare," Scully joked, releasing the boy from her arms so that he could eagerly go back to playing.

"Oh, Peter! Stop that!" Ellen pried her golden retriever off of the table, where he was trying to eat Trevor's cake. "She gritted her teeth. "I swear. I'm gonna kill that dog.."

"I'll take him outside," Mulder offered, grabbing the dog by the collar and leading him out of the room. To be honest, he just needed a moment by himself to pull him and his emotions back together.

"Dana. Oh, I'm so glad you're here." Ellen sighed. "Both of you," she made a point of adding.

Scully picked up some dirty plates before trailing behind Ellen into the kitchen. "Oh, you're amazing." She breathed.

"What?"

"You're just a natural at all of this. I don't know how you keep it together, El…"

Ellen grinned. "Mommy radar."

"Mmmm…"

"Dana, you're gonna be a great mom someday, you know."

"You really think so?" Scully turned around to face Ellen, hope and nerves evident in her voice and on her face.

"Dana, you went through the FBI academy, what better training could there be for motherhood…. Seriously, you're great with kids, what're you talking about?"

"Just… contemplating life… the future…."

"It helps if you find the man first, you know." Ellen laughed. She loved how open Dana has been being lately.

"Ohhh, I have him, all right," Scully muttered under her breath.

The dish that Ellen had been washing slipped from her hands and thudded loudly as it hit the sink. "I'm sorry, what?" Did her friend really just say that?

"I, uh, said that I have the man already." She clarified, shocking Ellen- almost- into silence. No matter _just how_ open Dana was being right now, that was one of the last things she expected her to say.

As far as she knew, Dana hadn't been in a relationship since she was with Jack Willis, who was a complete and utter prick if you asked her. And that was a little over three years ago. Ellen was sure that if she's had sex or a relationship since then, surely she'd would have told her? "You've found _the_ man, already," Ellen repeated, placing extra emphasis on the word ' _the'._

"What I mean, El is that Mulder is a permanent thing in my life. He'll, at this point he is my life. And I'm his. So, I can't help but think about what's to come in the future… for us…"

"Oh, my God!" Ellen exclaimed. "You're pregnant!"

"Ellen, shut upppp!" Scully whispered lowly.

Her tone stopped Ellen just as she was about to start happily screaming. "Why?"

"El, I'm not pregnant." Scully was trying incredibly hard not to laugh, but a smirk was still showing through her façade.

"You're not?"

"No." Scully finally let herself giggle slightly. "But you're not the first one to think that, so I'm not too surprised."

"I'm not?"

"Nope. Apparently, me bringing a boy to family dinner and getting emotional and fidgety over Alyssa constitutes for everyone thinking I'm knocked up."

"Well, damn." Ellen sighed. "I was getting excited there for a second.

"I could tell…"

"You'll let me know if and when you flare pregnant, though? And I mean like immediately. I want to be the second person to know, after him."

"I think I can do that, El."

"Is he good?"

"What?" Ellen's abrupt, out of context question confused Scully.

"Is he _good_?"

"To me? Yes, he's very sweet.."

"Nooo, Dana. Good Lord! I meant how is he in bed? Is he a 'one and done'? A 'quickie'? An 'as long as you need'? Come on, give me details! I'm a single mother here; I need something to live off of and be jealous of because I have no sex life, Dana. Pleasee," Ellen begged.

Letting out a cackle, Scully felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "El, I hate to disappoint you, but-"

"Oh, no! Is the sex really that bad?!"

"Ellen!" Scully screeched. Dropping her tone, so any passing children couldn't hear, "I wouldn't know. We haven't had sex, yet."

"What?!" Ellen practically screamed.

"Ellen!"

"Sorry." She dropped her tone to a generous whisper. "What?! Why haven't you slept with him?"

"We're waiting…"

"For what?"

"To get married…."

"Why the hell-?"

"Because." Scully groaned childishly. "We want it to be special and we've already made it this far. We want our relationship to be different from those in our pasts."

"That literally makes _no_ sense."

"I don't care. It's what we want. It's what we decided."

"Fine. Fine." Ellen threw her hands up in dismissal. "But promise you'll tell me everything when you do?"

"Not everything." Scully countered.

"Almost everything."

With a smirk, Scully answered her demand. "Fine. _Almost_ everything."

 **A/N: Hey guys! A little bit of a boring, no-action chapter today… don't worry. In the next few chapters, there will be both fluff and action to come…. As well as a little bit of angst (Not a lot. just a little.. ya know, to keep the plot interesting.) This chapter was pretty much just filler, but I felt that it needed to be included because of how much I love the scene in the show where Scully comforts the little boy.**


	11. Ice

**A/N: okay, so a little bit more fluff (with some drama/excitement thrown in for measure) before we head into slightly rougher waters for a bit.**

 **§§§**

Cold. White. Pristine. Beautiful. Blinding. Clean. Pure. All of these things and more could be used to describe the landscape that currently surrounded Mulder and Scully.

Nome, Alaska.

A gust of icy cold wind breezed through the airport hanger, causing Scully to shiver in her bulky purple jacket. It was the only one that the department store had left in her size and she hadn't had enough time to go looking elsewhere, so she bought it. She always hated this jacket. It's funny how, no matter how many things they've been able to alter and change so far, she was still stuck with this damn jacket.

She felt Mulder walk up behind her, running his hands up and down her forearms over her snow jacket. Suddenly, she wasn't freezing anymore.

"Cold?" He whispered in her ear, the heat from his breath creating a blissfully painful feeling of condensation on her earlobe.

"Not anymore," she croaked, refusing to turn her head to look at him, knowing she would only be faced with temptation. He was _so_ close.

 _Professional. They had to stay professional in public when they were on a case._

The crackling of a radio announcer disturbs their moment. "Fouts looks over the Raiders' defense... here's the snap. Raiders blitz! Fouts dumps it across the middle to Winslow! He's at the 15! The 10! Touchdown San Diego!"

A brown haired man with glasses, only a few inches taller than Scully, jumped up from his seat, punching one fist into the air. "Touchdown! Fouts... is... God!" He spun around in a circle, stopping immediately on his heels when he noticed that he wasn't alone. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly, running a hand through his thinning dirty-blonde hair. "My team scored.."

"There's no football on Wednesday," Scully stated, perplexed, while Mulder set down their bags closer to where they were standing.

"Fouts retired in '87, didn't he?" Mulder inquired casually.

"No, this is just some of my all-time favorite plays on tape. You two F.B.I.?"

Mulder waved his hand between himself and Scully. "Agent Mulder and Agent Scully." He shook the man's hand. "And you?"

"Danny Murphy, professor of geology at U. C. San Diego."

"San Diego? You get much of a chance to study ice down there?"

"Oh, just what's around the keg."

Mulder let out a short laugh in response to Murphy's joke.

Noticing two more people approaching them, Scully addressed them. "Dr. DaSilva, Dr. Hodge?"

"Yeah, sorry we're late."

They all exchanged handshakes.

"Hi," Scully breathed professionally, diplomatically. "Agents Mulder and Scully."

Hodge piped in, "Can I see some identification?"

"What for?" Mulder was weary of every single one of them.

"I just want to make sure that we are who we say we are," Hodge explained.

Mulder's mind was instantly alert. The term ' _We are not who we are_ ' running through his head. Neurons were firing at rapid. Those two sentences were eerily similar. One of them was just verbalized by Hodge. The other one was something that had been said on a tape from the last scientists that were up there. The man had said it.. right before he died. Well, he was murdered. Attacked. By a fellow scientist. Fishy. Very fishy. He made a mental note of it. He'd tell Scully about it later when they were alone.

 **§§§**

 _Later that evening…_

Well, that was eventful. So far, they've experienced a vapid dog, a crazed bushman pilot, both of their dead bodies, as well as the dead bodies from the previous scientists, a physical altercation, and having to strip down and check each other to make sure that no one else was infected. Females and males were separated, of course. And even if they hadn't been, Mulder was sure he would have put up a fight, not that Scully would probably have been appreciative of that. They weren't married yet, but he sure as hell didn't want any other man having the opportunity to see her naked. Only him. Always him.

It was now nearing on midnight, as Mulder pulled his weary limbs up from the lab stool. Scully was still busy at the microscope. Hodge, DaSilva, and Murphy had all already gone to bed an hour or so ago.

"C'mon." He whispered lowly, pulling her away from her station.

Scully didn't move. "Hmmm?" She must be more tired than he was.

"It's late. And we probably have jet lag. We've been up for over thirty hours straight, Scully." He tugged her towards the sleeping quarters. "Time for bed."

They walked all the way down to the end of the hallway, past all of the other occupied rooms. Mulder's was the last room on the right, while Scully's was the last on the left, across from his.

He opened his door and looked across the hallway. Scully was already walking through her doorway.

"Goodnight, Muld-," she began to say.

Mulder interrupted her, startling her slightly as he grabbed her forearm and yanked her back towards him. "Nuh uh."

"What?" She looked up at him questioningly, waiting for him to tell her why he didn't want her going into her room.

"I-," Mulder started, before realizing that he shouldn't say it in the open hallway, where anyone who was awake could hear them. He pushed her gently inside and shut the door behind him. "I don't remember much about this case.. But I remember being locked in a storage area and being held at gunpoint. And I remember one or more of them dying. And Scully, I'm not about to take that risk of losing you. I wouldn't be able to sleep, knowing you were across the hall, but not knowing for sure if you were okay or not. So, were both staying in here. Or in yours? Whatever you want. I don't care, as long as I can know you're okay."

"Mulder," Scully sighed. She wasn't sure how she felt about him getting all macho and protective over her. Part of her, the feminist side, hated it because it could be conceived as distrust, superiority, and not believing that she could handle her own. She knew that wasn't it, though. It was much more likely that he was acting this way out of love and fear. She understood that. And she felt that way, too, a lot of the time. "Okay. Okay. We'll stay in here. Will you go get my bag?"

Mulder smiled briefly at her before turning and heading into her room. He came back a short while later with her duffel and her carry on bag.

"Thanks." She moved slowly over to her stuff, which he set right next to his. Grabbing her pajamas, she began changing leisurely.

Mulder noticed her grimace as she went to remove her clothes. "Scully?"

"Hmm?" She grunted, attempting to slide her _many_ layers of arctic clothing off.

"Are you hurt?" He got up and hovered over her, anxious over what her answer was going to be.

"No, my back and neck are just really stiff. Probably from being on four different planes and being bent over at that microscope for so long…"

Mulder walked over to the bed wordlessly and sat down at the head, moving the pillows out from under him so he could prop them up behind him. "Come here." He spread his legs open and patted the space in between them.

"Wh-?" Scully was speechless. What was he implying?

"Come here, Scully!" He pleaded with a small whine. "I'm going to give you a back massage."

"A wha-?" Now, she really didn't know what to say. He wanted to give her a massage? She didn't even have to _ask._ He was _offering_. Crawling over into his lap, Scully settled down between his legs. She hadn't bothered to finish getting dressed. She wasn't feeling cold right now anyway, in her long sleeve shirt and panties.

The second she felt his hands touch her neck, she let out a low moan. All of her worries faded away as those talented hands of his kneaded her tired muscles. God, he was good at this. His hands were like magic.

"Enjoying this, Scully?" Mulder chuckled.

She was moaning at his every touch and movement practically. "Sorry," she whimpered. "Guess it's been awhile since I've had a massage. Especially a free one.." Scully exhaled deeply. "God, that feels good!"

Shifting back so she could change her sitting position, Scully accidentally brushed against his groin.

Mulder froze.

"Feels like you're enjoying this, too," Scully mused with a guilty grin.

Mulder stuttered. "I- uh-" He still wasn't quite sure how to react to situations where she knew she got him hard.

"Mulder, calm down." Scully giggled softly, turning around so that she was facing him, with her legs swung over both of his, while her bottom was still on the mattress in between them. "You think too much."

Taking her last statement into consideration, Mulder leaned in and captured her lips with his. Their tongues began dueling instantly, fighting for dominance. Grabbing her hips with an almost brutal force, Mulder yanked her body underneath his, leaning her back against the mattress, pinning her there. He couldn't help it. She was the cutest, sexiest, most lovable person he's ever met.

Scully whimpered, then giggled, against his lips as she felt his hands tighten around her hips. _God, he could almost cover her entire waist with the span of his hands._ She wrapped her legs around his lower back and pulled him down closer to her body. She needed to feel his weight on top of her, needed to release some of her sexual frustration. By restricting the space between their bodies, Scully was able to slowly start grinding herself on his abs, causing Mulder to moan deeply. _Oh, those abs._ She's always had a thing for his stomach muscles.

Mulder bit at her lower lip, causing her to make a sound that he was sure he'd never heard a woman make before. No, scratch that- not a woman. A human. Or anything, for that matter. It was a sound unique unto itself. It was Scully-specific. Wanting to hear her make it again, Mulder repeated his action. It worked. She made the same noise, again. It was sort of like a whimper, a growl, and a mewl all at the same time; and it turned him on to no end.

Feeling his passion intensify even further- which she hadn't thought was actually possible- and his hands beginning to wander, Scully slowly pulled away from their connection, choosing to speak in between smaller kisses. "Mulder…. We….. Have…. To… Slow….. Down…." She finally got it all out.

Mulder leaned in for one more sweet kiss, needing to savor the flavor of her. "Okay. Okay." He slowly peeled himself off of her body, withholding a groan when he realized that her shirt had risen up almost enough to expose her boobs.

"Hey." She grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him back towards her. "I didn't say you could leave," Scully smiled.

"I'm not too heavy for you?" Mulder began to chew on his lower lip out of a force of habit.

"Never.." Scully tangled her arms around his neck, allowing for him to rest his head on the soft spot right between her breasts. "But, Mulder?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever want me to make it- until we're married- for sex.. you're going to have to stop chewing on your lip. It just makes me want to bite you and do other things in which I am unable to discuss with you at this time…"

That got Mulder's attention. "What other things?"

"Mm m." Scully shook her head down at him. "Nope. Sorry, bud. Ain't gonna happen. You're not going to know until after I've already done them."

"Please, Scully?"

"Not until there's a ring on this finger, Mulder." Scully jokingly mocked what he had told her the first time they got a little too _'excited'_.

"Damn," Mulder pouted against her body, wiggling his head further into the valley of her breasts.

Scully smoothed her hands over his hair gently. "Sleep, Mulder."

 **§§§**

"Mulder?" Scully's voice slowly pulled him away from a dreamless sleep. "Mulder."

"Hmmm," he snuggled into the body that was on top of him. "You're very comfy and snuggly."

"Mulder," Scully laughed.

Why did her voice sound so far away?

"What," he mumbled into her skin.

"That's my ass." Scully was trying very hard not to let out a full blown laugh that would wake everyone else up at the situation that they found themselves in currently.

"What?" Mulder opened his eyes, only to be greeted by the ceiling of his room, and Scully's lower torso next to his head. Her body was sprawled on top of his, with the upper half above his head, curled up belly-down on the pillows, and her lower half resting on his chest and right shoulder. His hand had somehow weaseled its way underneath her panties while they were asleep and was now unashamedly groping her firm butt.

"Do you want me to move?" Scully asked with amusement.

"No," Mulder quipped. "I think I quite like it here, actually." He let his hand squeeze her ass. "This just might be my new favorite spot."

"You have a favorite spot?"

"Oh yes, I have many favorite spots."

"Really?"

"Yep, like your boobs.. And now your butt..."

"Understandable," Scully added with a smile.

"Sh, let me finish." Mulder volleyed back at her with mock seriousness.

"Sorry. Go ahead."

"As I was saying.." Mulder traced a line with his free hand along the curves of her side. "I love your fingers; they're so delicate and small, but so strong and capable… I love your back, it's shapely and pretty to look at, but soft to the touch; and it reminds me of how despite your size, you're easily the tallest person in any room you walk into, metaphorically speaking. I love your legs. They're short but mighty; they'd be any man's wet dream, but they can also kick said ' _any man's_ ' ass, too. Your eyes, they express so much emotion. They can swallow a person whole if they look for too long. They're mesmerizing. But, I think…" He scooted his body out from under hers and brought himself up to her level. "Your brain and your heart are my two favorites. Your brain is logical and fair. It's the smartest one I know, including myself, and it makes me work hard for every theory I have. It keeps me grounded and sane in a world doesn't care. Your heart; it has suffered through so much, yet still has so much that it's willing to give. I can't tell you how much I appreciate and admire everything that makes you who you are."

Scully blinked back the tears that had risen in her eyes. "Oh, Mulder." She brought her hands up to his face, drawing him closer so she could kiss him and show him all that he had just made her feel. After she had pulled away from him, ready to return the generous compliments in ten-fold, there was a knock at the door. Her eyes went wide. "Shit, Mulder," she whispered. "I'm in my underwear!"

Looking down at her attire, Mulder immediately understood what she was worried about it. Coming quickly up with a plan, "Okay. Okay, you get dressed away from the door, where they can't see you. And I'll distract whoever it is long enough for you to put on your clothes."

"Okay," she pecked him on the lips fleetingly as she sprang up and gathered her clothes up off of the ground. "Fuck, it's cold without pants!, " she whisper-yelled.

Mulder smirked at her as he opened the door.

"Agent Mulder." A voice said abruptly as the door squeaked open. It was Hodge. "Murphy. He- he's dead." Hodge stammered.

"Dead?"

"Yeah, he- he was stuffed into the freezer…"

"Were you the one to find him?," Scully appeared in the doorway, fully clothed. That still didn't stop Hodge's eyebrows from raising as he glanced back and forth between the two agents. Surely, he was thinking something along the lines of what had happened- or almost happened.

"No- uh, yes- I don't know... " Hodge began stuttering excessively.

"You.. don't know…" Scully quirked her eyebrow in disbelief.

"Well, I opened the freezer and saw him… but, DaSilva… she was already up...I- I think- think she did it. It wasn't me.."

"Mulder," Scully turned to her partner. "DaSilva. She's the one who's infected." She was remembering what happened last time they were here, without sounding completely off-the-wall crazy.

"Do you know how to kill it, Scully?" Mulder knitted his brow, trying to remember everything he could about what came next. Everything was fuzzy for the details of this case.

"That extra parasite, the one we found yesterday… we have to find a way to get it into DaSilva. They're territorial and cannibalistic. If there are two worms in one host, they'll both attack each other and hopefully.. Die."

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Hodge crossed his arms. After all, this was his fellow colleague that they were talking about here. If she was wrong, DaSilva was going to die from their efforts to disinfect her.

"Pretty sure."

"Just _'pretty'_?"

" _Very_ sure," Scully corrected herself.

 **§§§**

Walking through the door to her apartment for what felt like the first time in years, Scully through her bags down right inside the entry way and picked up the cordless landline. "Augh, it feels like we haven't been home _in ages_." She groaned while she dialed a number into the telephone.

"That's because _we haven't_ been home in three weeks, Scully."

Mulder was referring to the "Arctic Ice Project" in Alaska. While the case itself only took a very insanely hectic three days, The decontamination procedures that they had to endure afterward took eighteen days. It was hell, being isolated away from each other. They weren't allowed to have any contact whatsoever and weren't even given any information from the nurses and doctors about how the other was doing. Mulder had been released a few days before Scully, and they wouldn't let him wait for her or let her out early, so he had to come home alone, without her.

When she finally called him from the facility in Alaska, Mulder couldn't have been happier to just _hear_ her voice again. He went to pick her up at the airport in DC that night, and now here they were. There had been no over dramatic, cliche, desperate airport greeting. No. There hadn't even been so much as a hug- just a mutual smile and a promise for more, later.

"Hi, I'd like to place an order?" he heard her say into the phone. "Can I have…" She tapped her finger on her nose thoughtfully, taking notice of Mulder's sudden presence behind her body. She leaned further forward into the counter. "One order of lo neon. One order of chicken fried rice. One order of mixed vegetables… and…" She trailed off as Mulder wrapped his arms around her waist and dug his face into the crook of her neck, placing delicate kisses along all of the slots that made her go crazy. He _knew_ what he was doing to her. He was doing it on purpose. "Uh, uhmm," she hummed in appreciation. "Can I also have two orders of orange chicken?" She breathed deeply as Mulder began nipping at her earlobe and jaw. "Okay, thank you," she rushed out, practically slamming the phone down on the counter. She turned around with swift purpose, lifting herself onto the counter so she could be more level with him. She knew that their height difference hurt his back after a while of leaning down to her level, just like it hurt her neck to crane upwards for so long. Plus, not that she'd tell him, but she kind of had a fantasy that involved him and her kitchen counter. "God, I missed you, so much," Scully moaned into his mouth.

"It was hell not being able to see you, touch you, hear your voice, your laugh," Mulder said in quick spurts between kisses and labored breathing. Diving into her sweet taste, Mulder took control over their passion, trying to slow it down and savor it.

A few seconds? minutes? hours? later, the phone rang.

"Why are we always being interrupted," Mulder groaned lightly. "Doesn't everyone know I just want to kiss you forever?"

"Mulder," Scully laughed, shoving him away from her just enough so that she could lick up the phone. "Hello?"

Mulder couldn't handle waiting until she got back off of the phone; he began to place opened mouth kissed back down her neck and over her collarbone, making sure to pay attention to that one little spot in the hollow of her neck that-

Scully squeaked into the phone.

Yep, that would be the right spot.

"Uh, no. Sort, mom. I'm fine. I just…. Thought I saw a big spider…"

Mulder pulled up and smirked at her, eyebrows raised.

She knew what he was looking at her like that for. He was amused to know that she mentioned a harmless little spider scaring her. She gave him a look that meant ' _Shut up or you'll be in trouble_.'

He understood and got right back to work teasing her and making it hard for her to have a coherent conversation with her mother.

"Stop it," her mouth whispered into her ear. Her moving into his touch and caress, however, said the exact opposite. He moved down to her feet and legs and slowly began working his way back upwards, mentally telling himself to remember that apparently, Scully's feet are _extra_ sensitive, as she squirmed about the counter, trying to get out of his grip. That could come in handy in the future.

"Mulder," she finally chastised him out loud, accidentally alerting her mother to the fact that her daughter was not alone.

"I'm sorry dear. I didn't realize I was interrupting?" Maggie stated it more so than asked.

"Oh, God, mom. I'm almost afraid to ask why you sound a little hopeful about that. And yes, he is here." Scully ran her hand down her cheek in embarrassed agony.

Mulder pulled away from her legs and kissed her chastely, moving to go take her bags back into her room. His own were still in his car, waiting to be transported back to his apartment.

"Well, _sorry_ if I'm excited about your relationship, Dana!" Maggie piped into Scully's ear. "It's just that you haven't ever let us meet one of your boyfriends, outside of Marcus when you were fifteen… And I know you haven't had a," she searched for the right word. "- _a relationship_ in a long time, so I'm happy for you. He's a good man; and over the last few months, I've grown very fond of him and the way he treats you. He's good for you, Dana. Now, you call me later and get back to your… activities.." Maggie hung up the phone without waiting for her daughter to say goodnight.

"Oh, my _God!_ Mulder?!" Scully yelled, calling out for him as she hopped off the counter in pursuit of his whereabouts. " _My mother,_ " she started off once she found him in the bedroom. "Basically just told me, _despite the fact that I told her we were waiting_ , that she was sorry she interrupted our sexual situation- which I'm pretty sure she thought was us having sex- and to carry on as we were, and forget that she called!" She jumped up on the bed and flopped onto her back without poise. "Only my mother!"

All Mulder could do was laugh at her mortification.


	12. Overheard

_Two weeks later…_

 **§§§**

It was just a normal day at the office. Well, it _was_ a normal day at the office. It was normal right up until Scully was approached by The Cigarette Smoking Man. Well, not so much approached as falsely lured into a meeting with Skinner, only to get there and realize that Skinner wasn't even there. He was there waiting for her, standing in the corner, lurking in the shadows with his Morley cigarette in hand.

Scully visibly shivered when she entered the room. Just the thought, let alone the sight of him, made her thoroughly repulsed, nauseated even.

"Agent Scully," CSM clicked her name on the roof of his mouth, taking a long drag of his ever-present cigarette. "Please, have a seat."

"I was called into a meeting with AD Skinner. Where is he?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're speaking of, Agent Scully."

Right then and there, Scully knew she was in trouble. This wasn't good. It was a trap. How was she going to get out of this?

"Agent Scully." He addressed her again, more forcefully this time. "Take a seat."

Scully sat down gingerly, making sure to sit in a way that would allow her to pull her gun quickly if need be. Her hands starting sweating. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. What does he want?

"Agent Scully, there have been some concerns…"

"Concerns?"

"Yes, concerns… Tell me, Dana…"

Scully outwardly cringed at his use of her first name. It felt like he tainted it.

He continued, "What is the nature of your relationship with Agent Mulder?"

Gasping with disgust, Scully glared the formidable man down as she rose out of her chair. "Why it's professional of course," she seethed, lying through her teeth. "Agent Mulder is my partner, nothing more."

"So, if there were… _say… witnesses…_ that claimed they could attest to you having a personal relationship with him, they'd be incorrect?"

"They'd be mistaken. Yes." Walking towards the door, Scully turned back around to him. "Am I excused, _Sir?._ " Man, she'd really like to punch him in the throat.

"You're excused." He nodded his head. "But Agent Scully," he said with a warning just as her fingers nimbly grasped the door handle. "Watch where you bide your time. Just because it's your _personal time_ … doesn't mean you're free to do what you want. _._ "

Scully left without giving him a reaction, but inside she was crumbling. _They knew. They knew. They knew._ She had thought that they were being careful enough, but obviously… they _weren't_.

 **§§§**

Mulder was putting his trench coat when she finally made it back down to the office. She had taken an extra long time on her walk back, trying to process and figure out what to think and how to feel about her meeting with CSM.

"So, where do you want to go grab lunch from today?" He turned towards her with an optimistic grin.

"Um, I actually think I'm going to head home early today..."

"Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Fine. Fine." Scully lied. "I'm just not… feeling that great right now. I think I just need some sleep and I'll be fine."

"Well, everything's pretty dead around here; I'll go with you." He picked up his briefcase.

"Mulder, no. Not tonight." She held her hand up against his chest in apology. She quickly retracted it when she remembered what CSM had just told her. He gave the assumption that they were being watched.

Turning around without another word, Scully tried to block out the searing image of Mulder's crestfallen face. It showed his hurt and his confusion. God. She hated lying to him. But she didn;t know where was safe and she needed some time to herself to process all of this and sort it out in her head. She always functions better and makes better decisions once she's mediated on an issue.

 **§§§**

Scully hadn't even opened her eyes yet, but she was acutely aware of two things. One: She had a splitting migraine that seemed to inhabit her every living cell. Two: It was _really fucking_ bright. Still refusing to open her eyes even just the slightest bit, she ran through all of the basic facts and possibilities.

It was Saturday today, so no work. Thank God. She snuggled down into whatever she was laying on and breathed deeply. Lavender detergent. Pillows. Silk sheets. She was in her bed, another good sign. She held her breath for a quick second and immediately became aware of a soft snore coming from behind her. _Oh no._ What did she do?

She hesitantly cracked one eye open and waited for her sight to focus, withholding a groan at the sheer intensity of the morning sun rays. An olive green wine bottle lying empty on her nightstand became apparent to her sensitive eyes. _That's right. She'd gone a little overboard on the Piño last night during her bath._

Her stomach churned at the thought of who could be lying behind her. _Please, let it be Mulder. Please, God, let it be Mulder._ She didn't know what she'd do if it were anyone else. Glancing under the covers covertly, she let out a silent breath. She was in her pajamas, a good omen. It didn't mean that she _didn't_ have sex… necessarily… but it was a good sign that she probably hadn't.

Rolling over slowly, all she was greeted with was a vast expanse of well-toned back and a head full of brown hair. Whoever it was turned away from her, lying on his stomach.

Scully carefully got out of bed and walked on her tiptoes around to the other side, so she could look at 'mystery man's' face. An unmistakable nose and a pair of full lips greeted her. She breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was Mulder.

Deciding to let him sleep, Scully made her way quietly out to the kitchen so she could make them breakfast. If her memories didn't come back before he woke up, she'd have to ask him. Hopefully, he knew more than she did about it… which was currently next to nothing.

 **§§§**

Mulder stumbled clumsily out of bed about forty-five minutes later, clad in only his boxers. He stopped short of making his appearance known when he saw her standing at the counter.

She was making bacon with one hand and drinking coffee in the other, wearing his shirt that he had worn over the night before. His groin tightened and his legs felt tingly. He knew that she often wore his shirts to bed; after all, it was part of their sleeping-apart arrangement in order to keep them from jumping each other's bones at night.

But it was altogether different when he _actually saw her_ wearing his t-shirt. And God help him, she wasn't wearing any pants. It was just a plain grey v-neck, rather tight on him, but it swam on her. Not in a bad way, but in a comfortable looking, 'highlighting every curve, while still being baggy' kind of way. Lord almighty, he needed all of his strength to get through this breakfast with her dressed like that. Seeing her in his clothes was both extremely sexy, cute, and made him feel possessive. It was almost like his clothes branded her, marked her as his own, even though he didn't really have any mark over her, yet. God, it made him want to make her his own. Ruin her, so that no other man could ever be good enough for her. He wanted to-

"Mulder?" Scully had turned around and noticed him staring at her… or more accurately… her ass and legs. The territorial gleam in his eye made her insides quiver with longing. _Focus_ , she reminded herself. _You need to focus on the issue at hand._

"Uh, hey."He ran his hand through his hair. "How are you feeling?"

She quirked her eyebrow. "Fine. Hangover headache… but other than that… Mulder-" She paused, unsure of how to continue. "Did we-? What happened last night?"

"You don't remember?"

"The night is a complete mystery to me, Mulder.." Biting her lip, "Did we have sex last night?"

He huffed out a small laugh under his breath. "No. No, we didn't."

Scully was about to say something in response, but Mulder kept on talking.

"I know that you had said that you needed some space and I tried to give that to you… But I got worried and then you pocket dialed me and all I could hear was rustling from your end of the line… so I came over here to check on you. When I got here, you opened the door in your underwear and you were slurring… turns out you drank an entire bottle of wine, plus some tequila. You were stumbling all over the place… mumbling something about being careful… and you, uh, tried to come onto me pretty hard when I tried to put you to bed. We compromised. You wouldn't go to sleep unless I at least stayed with you. And that was really it…" Mulder took a deep breath, happy that they'd gotten that out of the way. Now, it was time for the harder conversation.

Scully felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.

Furrowing his eyebrows together as he looked her in the eye, "Scully, why did you pull away? Why don't you want to be around me? Did I do something that upset you? I just- I'm trying to understand, Scully."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or worry you… I just needed some time by myself... to think."

Mulder knew it was stupid and irrational, but it still stung him a little bit when she uttered the words "by myself."

"About what?" Mulder pressed, trying to get her to talk to him. They'd been doing so much better with communication lately, up until now. He took a step closer to where she was standing against the kitchen counter.

"My meeting wasn't with Skinner," she rushed out in one breath, closing her eyes and dropping her head down.

"Wh- What?" Mulder was confused. Her meeting with Skinner wasn't actually with Skinner? His lovesick mind immediately went to the worst possible scenarios: she was with someone else and now she was telling him goodbye; she was being transferred out of his office; she was leaving the FBI all together…

"Mulder, stop!" She walked towards him and placed her hands on his arms. "Whatever you're thinking… it's probably not even close to what actually happened."

"What happened?"

"When I went up to his office, he wasn't there… CSM was..."

"That black-lunged bastard was the one who called you up?"

She felt the muscles in his arms tense, his jaw clench, his hands balling up into tight fists. He was about to let her finish speaking, but then a sickening thought occurred to him. His entire body heated up with red-hot anger. He pulled away from her grip, choosing instead to put his hands heavily upon her shoulders and look her up and down. "He didn't touch you, did he?! If he touched you I'm going to hunt him down and kill him-"

"Mulder!" Scully's head shot up to look at his. "He didn't touch me! I promise." She brushed his hands off of her with irritation and walked over to the couch.

He followed silently and sat down next to her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get anything out of her until she was ready to talk on her own.

After a few tense minutes, Scully finally took a deep breath and began to speak. "Mulder, he knows."

"Wha-"

"He _knows._ " She placed extra emphasis on the word, hoping to get her message across without actually saying it.

"About us-"

"No, don't say it!"

"Why not?"

"We're being watched."

"We knew that..."

"No, _really_ watched. I want the gunmen to check everything. My apartment. Your apartment. The office. Every week."

Mulder was actually kind of shocked. Scully wasn't necessarily fond of The Lone Gunmen… well, mainly just Frohike, which wasn't surprising, considering his infatuation with her. "You want the gunmen to actually step foot into your home?"

"Yes and until that happens I don't think we should be seen together for non-work-related purposes."

"What?!" Mulder exclaimed. How could she be so calm about this? She didn't want to see him outside of work because there might be an audio recorder or two?

"Mulder, you're not getting this. Are you?" She was beginning to get frustrated now.

"No. I don't understand this at all. We knew that we were being monitored and you didn't have any problem with it until yesterday!"

"Mulder!" Scully's voice broke with unbridled emotion. "But now they've exposed themselves. They know that we know that they know. What if- What if-" She choked down a sob. "What if they take you away from me? They've done it before. They'll sure as hell do it, again. Mulder, you don't understand. I can't lose you. Just like you can't lose me. I don't want to fucking live without you. I wouldn't be able to."

"Scully," Mulder said tenderly, leaning in to hug her. "We'll go see the gunmen tomorrow. We'll figure this all out."

"Mulder, no-" She tried to protest his embrace. "What if there's video surveillance, too."

"You said it yourself: they already know."

Taking his words into consideration, she finally let herself melt into his arms. "You're still leaving tonight." She mumbled into his shoulder, eliciting a chuckle from his throat.

 **§§§**

Scully woke up the next morning with a weird feeling. Pulling her hands up to rub the sleep from her eyes, she figured out why. There was a reflection of light coming from her left hand. A ring. Mulder must have slipped it on her hand after she fell asleep on the couch last night.

She smiled slightly as she sat up and brought her hand closer to her face so she could inspect the ring. It was simple and beautiful. The band was gold- how thoughtful of him to make sure it would match with her cross. It had a single medium sized diamond in the middle and two smaller inset ones on the band surrounding it. It was beautiful.

Looking over at her nightstand to grab her phone and call him, she noticed a letter addressed to her. She opened it carefully and began to read:

 _Dear Scully,_

 _I know I promised you this ring a few months ago; and I know that by putting it on your finger when you're zonked out doesn't *really* count. But with our new plans, I felt like I needed to give it to you. I hope you decide to wear it in whatever way, shape, or form. I also wanted to say that I hope we don't have to stay apart for long. Yes, I'll be able to see you at work, but it's going to be so hard not to touch you and kiss you like I'm used to doing now. I miss you. I love you. I can't wait until we can spend the rest of our lives together._

 _\- Mulder_

Scully slowly drew her gaze up from the letter. With tears in her eyes as well as on the paper, she carefully folded it up and put it in her purse. She didn't want to lose it.

Last night they came up with a plan, one that would allow them to be together, worry free, as long as it worked. It was dangerous and they could lose their jobs, be sent to federal prison, or worse. They were going to collect evidence against Cancerman, Blevins, and Senator Kennedy. They knew that they were the three vital people to the Syndicate. The top-dogs, if you will. Without those three men, the whole thing would crumble. The one flaw in their plan was that they needed Skinner's help to collect the evidence. If they did it by breaking in, then it wouldn't hold in court because it was illegally obtained. The problem with this part of the plan was that Skinner didn't really trust them, yet.

 **§§§**

Walking into the Hoover building that next Monday morning, Scully didn't notice any of the whispers or stares from their colleagues; she didn't notice the lab technicians saddened expressions; she didn't even hear Skinner or Michelle tell her a surprised 'Congratulations!'. All she had eyes for was that adorable, slightly reserved, yet proud smile that Mulder gave her when she walked into the office with his ring on her finger.


	13. Off to See the Gunmen

**A/N: Before you say anything, yes, I am aware that I've just mucked up the timeline. Consider it artistic reorganizing or something haha.**

 _One week later…_

 **§§§**

 _The Lone Gunmen's Lair_

 _Click._

Frohike covertly pointed his camera in the general direction of Scully, conveniently not noticing the intense glare that Mulder shot his way because of it. He sat at his desk with his feet propped up to one side. Langly was pacing the floor behind him. Byers was standing steadfast in the back corner of the room.

"So, check it out, Mulder, today I had breakfast with the guy who shot John F. Kennedy." Langly broke the silence that coexisted between the group. Mulder was grateful; the tension between him and Scully was... palpable... to say the very least. It's been seven days. Seven days since he's last hugged her, touched her, kissed her, told her he loved her. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

The reason that they didn't immediately come see the Gunmen last week is- believe it or not- because they had gone on vacation. They'd taken a trip to Vegas to play the slots and try their hand at picking up strippers. Mulder assumed that they hadn't had any luck on the second one because they didn't mention anything. Or maybe it was just because they were in the presence of the enigmatic Agent Scully.

Mulder finally replied to Langly. "Is that so?"

"Old dude now, but yeah. Says he was dressed as a cop on the grassy knoll."

"And, Mulder, listen to this. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Russian Social Democrats? He's being put into power by the most heinous and evil force of the 20th century," Byers butted in.

"Barney?" Mulder joked, causing Scully to laugh under her breath and lean a little bit closer to him. He reciprocated the gesture; he's even missed just being able to stand close to her. Also, he didn't really trust Frohike when it came to Scully.

"No, the C.I.A." Byers deadpanned.

Langly snickered at him.

"Hmmm," Scully hummed in consideration.

"Is this your skeptical partner?"Langly sneered.

 _Click._

Frohike snapped another picture. "She's hot."

Mulder shot him another glare, one that he actually noticed this time. Scully took another step closer to him, just enough to where they were more comfortable and yet infinitely more uncomfortable. They both could practically hear the electricity buzzing between the two of them. It was hard for both of them to fight the urge to reach out and touch the other.

"You don't believe that the CIA, threatened by a loss of power and funding because of the collapse of the cold war, wouldn't dream of having the old enemy back?"

"I believe the government can do a lot of things. They have in fact. By I don't think that the CIA in its entirety is capable of that nor do they actually care enough about it to put an elaborate plan such as that into action…"

"She _is_ hot." Frohike licked his lips.

"Frohike settle down." Mulder stood a little bit taller, trying to intimidate his smaller competitor.

"Why? She's hot."

"She's taken. And besides that fact, you're being a pig."

All three of the Gunmen's eyes widened as Mulder finished his statement. Frohike noticed how close Mulder and Scully were standing to each other.

"You snagged her!" Frohike exclaimed at the same time that Byers offered his congratulatory remarks over her engagement ring, which he also just noticed. Frohike and Byers both turned and looked at each other, surprised at what the other person had said.

"Well, which is it?" Langly turned towards the pair and expressed a look of confusion.

"Both, actually." Scully kicked the heel of her shoe against the floor, crossing her arms and looking down at the ground.

"Mulder, you're marrying her?!" Frohike exclaimed. "You didn't even tell us!"

"Sorry, boys." Mulder gave them an empty apology. "We did come here for a reason, though."

"What do you need?" Byers sat down on the edge of the desk.

"We need bug checks. For my apartment, Scully's apartment, and the office. At least once a week, maybe twice." He noticed the weird look that the three of them sent his way. "We're being watched," he explained slowly. "We're being watched and we need you guys to clear out any audio or visual devices that you find."

"When do you want us to start?"

"Tonight, preferably."

Mulder saw a sly smile come across Frohike's face. He pointed directly at the small man. "You're not allowed in Scully's bedroom."

"What?! Why not?"

"Because I know you Fro and I don't want you snooping around in her underwear drawers or something gross." Mulder looked pointedly over at him before chancing a glance at Scully. Her eyes had widened as if she hadn't thought about them having to look through her intimate clothing for bugs.

"Okay, we'll come over tonight. Is that all? I'm kind of in a hang up with an online game of Dungeons and Dragons." Langly crossed his arms and looked like he was about ready to leave.

"Yeah, that's it." Mulder began making his way towards the door. A thought occurred to him halfway through his walk. "Hey, guys?" He turned to look at them, causing Scully to stop, as well. "Where's the bathroom in this place?"

"It's that door on your right up there," Byers pointed.

Frohike stood up. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Mulder grinned with a twinkle in his eye. He grabbed Scully's hand and practically ran towards the bathroom door.

He opened it quickly and tugged her in after him. As soon as he shut the door, he leaned down and got a grip on her thighs, lifting her up and pushing her roughly against the door.

She let out a squeal of surprise at the sudden movement.

He buried his head in her neck and breathed her in. "God, I've missed you."

"Ditto." She ran his fingers through the hair on the back of his head. "When this is all over, let's please not ever do something like this again!"

"Take down a shadow government?" Mulder still hadn't removed his head in her neck. He began to place small butterfly kisses to her skin.

"Mm," she moaned in response. "No, I don't want to ever stay apart from you for this long."

"Me neither," he mumbled against her skin, letting his kisses climb higher and higher.

She locked her ankles together behind his back so he didn't have to hold her up with his hands. He ran his newly freed hands feverishly up and down her body, hungry to touch her.

Scully tugged on the back of his head sharply until she finally got him to look up at her. She leaned down and slanted her mouth over his.

Mulder's hands landed in her hair and stayed there. He welcomed her tongue into his mouth instantly, sparking a battle for control that was well known to them by now.

After a while, Mulder finally broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. "We should probably cool it before the boys throw a fit."

Scully moaned her disapproval and nipped at his lips until he started kissing her again. He got lost in the taste and feeling of her, forgetting all about where they were.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the other side of the door. The sudden sound and vibrations startled the pair, interrupting their intense make-out session. Mulder pulled away from her lips and leaned his forehead against her ear. All that could be heard was the combination of their labored breathing. Scully's chest was rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to regain her breath.

Another knock.

They stayed silent.

"Hey, guys? How much longer until you're done having sex?" It was Langly. "I kind of have to use the little boys' room… like really bad… Frohike made some bad chili last night…"

"Oh, my God," Scully whispered with an underlying groan, dropping her head against his shoulder.

Mulder slowly lowered her down to the ground, not wanting to part from her a single moment before he had to. He watched, enthralled, as she twisted her shirt back around so it was straight, fussing obsessively with the wrinkles that they had inflicted upon it during their activities. He smirked, "Scully, I hate to tell you this… but you look like you've been thoroughly fucked, even though all we've done is kiss. There's no way you- or me for that matter- are going to get out of this room innocently."

Scully's eyes widened substantially at his words. She couldn't possibly look that frumpy after what felt like only a few seconds of kissing, could she? Mulder noticed her look of disbelief and took on his own look of pride, guilt, and embarrassment. He guided her by the shoulders to where she could see herself in the front of the mirror above the sink.

Her shirt was wrinkled and situated lopsided, even though she had just spent forty-five seconds trying to fix it... Her hair was sticking up all willy nilly and was starting to lose its straightness due to the fact that his fingers had been tugging on it and running through it so much. Her lipstick had been smeared and was now practically non-existent. Not that you could really even tell from the swollen dark pink hue of her bee-stung lips. There were blotches of red scattered along her neck, collarbone, and chest. She definitely looked like she's just had sex.

Mulder heard her audibly gasp as she took in her reflection in the mirror.

"At least there aren't any hickeys this time," he joked, trying to gage her mood.

She whimpered, a strange flash of lust passing quickly through her eyes.

It made Mulder wonder. Maybe hickeys weren't as much of an inconvenience to her as she had originally tried to play them off as… He'd have to remember to test that theory out in the future after this was all over.

Langly knocked on the door again, more urgently this time. "Guys, please!" He pleaded. "I'm about to embarrass myself out here!"

Mulder shot her an apologetic grin and grabbed her hand, slowly leading her towards the door. When the both emerged from the bathroom, Langly didn't even give them a second look. He just barreled right past them and shut the door as quickly as he could. Maybe they could get out of there without having Byers and Frohike witness their less than professional physical states.

"Hey, Mulder we still need Scully's address if we're going to start the bug checks tonight," Byers came waltzing into the room with Frohike on his heels. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed Mulder and Scully's… changes in appearance…

Mulder quickly side-stepped behind Scully's body. She was about to ask him if he was all right… but then she felt him press his erection into her lower back. He was trying to hide it. The feeling of him being so close, but not being able to do anything about it in the sense that she wanted to, sent a series of shivers up her spine, making her fingertips tingle with excitement. Not now, she reminded herself. They both looked sheepishly over towards Byers and Frohike.

"Did you guys really just go have sex in the bathroom? You couldn't have waited until you go into your car or something?" Frohike made a face that could have either been likened to one of disgust or jealousy.

Neither of them replied or even tried to explain themselves. It would have all just fallen on deaf ears anyway. Scully felt a surge of red hot heat rise to her face. Damn Mulder for having an erection right now. She wanted nothing more than to hide away behind him.

Frohike crossed his arms across his chest. "Honestly, Mulder."

Byers gave them both a look of surprise. This wasn't like the Mulder he knew. No, not at all. The Mulder he knew didn't date. Not since Diana happened a few years ago. And even then, when he was with Diana, he never came around. Byers had a feeling that it would be way different with Scully. She already seemed so much different than Diana, in a good way, of course.

"Uhm," Scully hummed, biting her lip apprehensively. "We should probably be going now. See you guys later?"

"Oh, yeah. Of course, Agent Scully." Byers waved to them. "Oh, wait! Your address..."

"Oh, uhm, right." Scully felt herself blush again. God damn this Irish complexion of hers.

 **§§§**

 _The next day..._

"Alright, you guys. We're done, now. Everything's clear." Langly lifted a box full of audio and video recording devices. They had found them in everything: light sockets, electrical outlets, pencils, pens, under the desk, on the bottom of the trash can, hidden on picture frames… "We'll see you later." Langly tossed over his shoulder as he staggered behind Byers and Frohike on their way out of the office door.

Scully released a slow breath and walked thoughtfully over to the door. She stuck her her out and looked in both directions before retreating back inside. Shutting it heavily, she twisted the lock and then turned mischievously on her heel to face him. "So, Mulder," she began innocently, letting her voice drop in pitch as she spoke.

"Hmm," Mulder smirked at her with his arms folded. He had an idea of where this was going.

"It's, uh… It's only 7:30." She purred.

Mulder glanced up at the clock that was hanging above the doorway. "Huh, you're right! It is."

"Our meeting isn't for another hour… and the whole building will be practically deserted until then…"

"You're probably right. Yes…"

"Mulder! Stop playing cool and kiss me, dammit!"

Her petulant, frustrated whine, endeared Mulder to no end. He chuckled and unwrapped his arms from around himself. "I'm sorry." He cupped his hand over his ear as he took a couple steps forward. "What was that, Agent Scully?"

She tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. "The longer you stand there, trying and failing to be funny, the less time you have to feel me up."

Mulder raised his eyebrows. "I was just having a little bit of fun there. NO need to play dirty!" He joked.

"You should know by now, Mulder. I am not a patient person."

"Oh, shh." He silenced her. "You know I always want to kiss you. He'll, I would kiss you every second of the res rod our lives if it were medically and physically possible!" He leaned in, waiting for her to make the final connection between them.

"Hmmm," Scully lifted her lips up to his. Just before they finally connected, she jerked her head back an inch or two. "Prove it!" She stated defiantly up to him.

"Gladly."

Before they had a chance to lean back in towards each other, something hit Scully's heel. It was a plain white envelope. With a furrowed brow, Scully bent down and picked it up gingerly. She cracked open the seal and pulled out a single sheet of folded paper. It read:

 _I've considered your request. I accept. I want to see them put away just as much as you do. This will be my only contact with you concerning it until it's over._

The letter was unsigned, but that didn't really matter. They both knew who it was from. Skinner. They'd approached him about it a few days ago at a local coffee shop that they knew he frequented. He hadn't said anything to tip them off as to which way he was going to decide, so this was good news. _Very_ good news. Now they actually had a chance at succeeding with this plan of theirs.


	14. Eve

_**A/N: Hope you guys like it (:**_

 _Two months later..._

 **§§§**

Scully walked into the office at 9:13 AM. She was late. Mulder was sitting at his desk, flipping through a slideshow of dead cows. Why is it always dead cows?

"Hey, sorry I'm late." She apologized unnecessarily. "The line for coffee was really long today."

"Hey, Scully?" Mulder didn't look up from what he was doing.

"Hmm?"

"What do you remember about Teena Simmons?"

Scully took off her jacket and hung it up by the door. "Am I supposed to remember that name after eight years, Mulder?"

.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. What do you remember about the Eve girls?"

"Is it time for that case already?"

"You'd be correct. Teena Simmons' father was found dead this morning in the front yard of his house in California. He was sitting on the swingset, two needle marks near the jugular, all of his blood was.. Well, not in his body, and there wasn't even a single drip on the play structure or the grass below him…" Mulder adjusted himself in his chair.

Scully crossed her arms in thought as she took a step closer to the projection of the slideshow. There was a picture of the man himself on the slide now. "Exsanguination?"

"Bingo!" Mulder lointed his finger at her. "And do ya remember who did it?"

"The Eve twins both killed their own respective parents in tandem."

"Right, again!" Mulder threw his arms up into the imitation of a lasso that was being thrown directly at her. "Our flight is at 9:30 AM. The second murder hasn't happened, yet. But we need to go "interview" Teena and the other witnesses."

 **§§§**

"Hello," Scully walked up to the concierge's desk. "I need a check in for Dana Scully and Fox Mulder." They were at a Motel 6- one of the numerous fine establishments that Mulder had the guts to choose for them to stay in… every time…

"Okay, let's see here..." the girl at the front desk spit out very slowly.

Scully wasn't really in the mood for snail games. Their plane had just landed a little under an hour ago, and judging by the time on her watch, it as already 12:30 AM in DC. Of course, that meant that it was only 8:30 PM here in Marin County, California. All she wanted was a nice hot bath and a break from the sexual tension that was buzzing between her and Mulder.

It's been excruciating lately. They were going on week ten of their "no relationship relationship" ruse and Scully was dead tired of it. She knew the wait would be well worth it, but that didn't stop her from longing for his touch, his kiss, his cuddles. She missed talking to him while they laid on the couch and watched a movie. She missed the way her head fit under his chin. She missed the way his arms felt as they snaked their way around her middle unexpectedly.

And now, after she's had to spend all day standing next to him at a crime scene and sitting next to him on a plane, she was ready for a break from the temptation. It really would be worth it to wait, if they succeeded. The difference between living a life together that was filled with danger and uncertainty versus a life where they were free and safe was enormous.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." The concierge shook her head. "We only have a reservation for one room under the name of Fox Mulder… There's nothing here for Dana Scully."

"Oh, okay. There must have been a mistake, somehow. Is it possible to get two adjoining rooms?" Scully _really_ wasn't in the mood for any problems or arguing.

"I'm afraid there isn't. See, we're fully booked. There's only the one room you have reserved available for tonight. I do apologize."

"Are there two beds?" _Please let there be two beds. I don't know how I'm going to contain myself if there aren't._

"No, Ma'am. It's a single room."

Scully sighed dramatically. "Okay, we'll just take it."

Mulder could almost feel her acquiesce demeanor before she even got out of the building. And when she did appear back outside, the sight of her rubbing her eye with the back of her fist and her slumped shoulders were a dead give away, anyway.

"What's wrong?" He wanted to reach out and hug her rub her shoulders, but he knew he shouldn't. It would only make keeping their distance harder. It was already hard enough not to touch her as it is.

"There's only one room, Mulder," she exhaled, not quite meeting his gaze with her own, choosing instead to stare at the third button on his jacket.

"So…"

"So, we have to share."

"Oh, well that's not bad." Mulder chuckled. "I was expecting something a lot worse than that."

Scully shot an icy glare up at him, causing him to stop right where he was. She opened her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. Turning around, she stormed away over to the back of the car. Popping open the trunk, she quickly grabbed her suitcases and left in the direction of their room, leaving a confused Mulder behind in her wake.

 **§§§**

Coming through the door about two minutes after she ditched him, Mulder walked into the room only to find Scully gracelessly sprawled out on the double size bed. _Gulp. That's really small for two people like us to have to share._ "Scully, what's wrong?" Mulder asked carefully, trying not to stir the pot that was her anger.

"Nothing. I'm fine, Mulder." Scully sighed from her supine starfish position on the bed.

"Don't ' _I'm, fine_ ' me, Scully. You are obviously not fine. Why don't you want to share a room?" Mulder put his hands on his hips, hopefully trying to get her to take him more seriously.

"Because, Mulder."

" _Because_ isn't an answer, Scully."

"Well, it's the best one I have for you right now so you might as well deal with it." She sat up and started walking towards the bathroom. The bathtub was calling her name.

Mulder grabbed her by the arm and yanked her backward. "Don't do this, Scully."

She knew what he meant.

He knew that she knew that.

He didn't want her to close up and not let him in. He wanted her to be open and tell him what she was feeling. _Fine, then._ She thought as a small shiver tickled up her spine at the feeling of his tight hold on her arm. She spoke confidently and scientifically, detaching herself from her emotions so she wouldn't act upon them. "Mulder, I don't want to share a room with you because I'm horny as hell and all I wanted was a little bit of space so I won't jump your bones and ruin everything." She exhaled. _There. Now he knows._

Mulder looked a little shocked at first, but his surprised expression quickly fizzled out into a Cheshire smile. "Is that so?" He smirked.

"Yess," she hissed back at him, squirming under his grip. "Now let go of me before I explode, please!"

Mulder kindly released his grip on her arm and took a small step back. Running his hand through his hair, "Do you want me to go for a run or something? So you can have a bit of space?" He smiled cunningly at her.

She was just about to answer him when the ringing of a cell phone stopped her.

"Hello?" Mulder moved to answer it. After a few minutes of conversation, he hung up the phone. He turned back towards Scully. "They want us down at the crime scene. But the detective did say that the body is ready for the autopsy. If you want, I'll go down and question everyone by myself and you can go do the autopsy?"

"Yeah," Scully breathed in relief. "Yeah, that would be good."

"Okay, I'll see you later then?" Mulder grabbed his jacket and made a move towards the front door.

"Yeah, later."

 **§§§**

 _Two days later…_

It was late. Mulder was driving. Scully was sitting beside him in the passenger seat. They kept looking at each other fleetingly. The past two nights have been hard, but wonderful. So far, they've kept themselves in check. But God, how wonderful it felt to wake up in each other's arms. After the first night, they woke up to a tangled mess of arms and legs. It was so refreshing… waking up with his arms around her and her head tucked under his chin. And then this morning, they'd woken up with Mulder snuggled up with his head under Scully's breasts and his hand wound tightly around her hips. She had one had buried in his hair and the other resting under his shoulder blade.

"Agent Mulder, I have to go to the bathroom," one of the two young, blonde girls said from the backseat of the car, breaking the mutual concentration for both of the adults.

"Yeah, me, too," the other one agreed.

Mulder and Scully glanced sidelong at each other.

"I could use some caffeine." Scully spoke easily. They both knew that they needed to stop so that the girls would tamper with their drinks. The poisoned liquid would serve as the evidence that they needed to prove they were guilty for murdering their parents.

Mulder pulled the car off of the freeway at the next exit. There was a truck stop right next to the freeway.

Walking through the doors, they all approached the store counter.

"Hi, where are your restrooms?" Mulder asked the lady behind the counter.

"In the back." The lady popped a bubble in the gum that she was chewing. "Here, let me get you the key." She handed the key to Mulder, who in turn gave it to Scully.

"Thanks. Okay can I get four diet sodas, please?"

"Regular," both of the girls said in unison as Scully tried to lead them off in the direction of the bathroom.

"Okay, two diet and two regular, then."

 **§§§**

"Agent Scully, my door is stuck!" one of the girls called from behind the closed stall doors.

"Just a second." Scully went to help the girl, completely missing the fact that the other one slipped out of the bathroom behind her.

The girl walked up to the counter and took two of the drinks.

"Hey, wait just a minute!" the waitress called after her.

"It's okay. My dad will pay for them when he gets out of the bathroom." She smiled sweetly at the lady and continued to walk over to a booth. She barely got the digital that they were using as poison into both of the drinks before Mulder came up behind her.

"Are those the diet drinks?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Mulder took a sip out of one of the cups. "Are you sure?" He made a face. "This is really sweet.

"I know so!" The little girl exclaimed. "I saw her pour it!"

"Okay." _Gotcha,_ Mulder thought.

He waited for Scully to come out of the bathroom with the other girl before they walked outside. Once they all got out of the car, they both put their tainted drinks on the hood of the car. Mulder pretended to look for his keys. He walked over to the right side of the car, where Scully and the girls were standing. A brief moment of eye contact with Scully slurred both of the agents to leap forward and grab the girls.

"Hey! Let go!"

"Get off of me!"

They both started screaming and yelling, trying to draw the attention of surrounding bystanders. There were none.

They quickly got the handcuffs on both of the girls and shoved them into the backseat of the car. Mulder walked back over to the other side and stood beside the rear door. Scully stood in front of the right side rear door. Whipping out her phone, Scully quickly called for backup.

When she finally snapped her phone shut, she smiled over at Mulder. "We got 'em this time."

"Yeah," he grinned back at her. "We did."

 **§§§**

It was late by the time they both returned from the police station that the girls were being temporarily held at. With all of the evidence handed over, Mulder and Scully's work was done. They headed back to the motel in a sleepy haze.

Halfway through the drive back, Scully's phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered it.

" _Agent Scully."_

Scully sat up ramrod straight in her seat. "Yes, Sir?" It was Skinner.

He spoke semi-cryptically. "The… information… has been processed. The men are in federal custody. We have them cornered. They're being transferred to Guantanamo Prison as soon as proper transportation has been arranged."

"Sir?" Scully had to be sure. What she just heard sounded too good to be true. Sure, they'd been waiting for this call for almost three months, but it just didn't seem real.

Skinner cleared his throat. "You both have a week's worth of vacation time, starting immediately. We want to be sure that it's safe before you guys come back. The Director wants to commend you two as well as me as soon as everything settles down." He took a deep breath. "Congratulations, Agents. We've just taken down three of the most powerful, corrupt government employees."

"Uh, thank you, Sir. We'll see you next week." Scully stuttered through her words of gratitude and hung up quickly. "Mulder, keep driving." She told him right as he started coming up on their exit.

"What, Scully? Why? Who was that on the phone?"

Scully didn't answer him right away. This wasn't something she wanted to tell him while they were strapped into a bucket of metal moving 70 mph through the night. "Actually, on second thought. Do get off. I'll explain when we get into the room. And then we're going to grab our bags and get back in the car."

"Why?"

"We're going to LA." She folded her hands into her lap and waited somewhat impatiently for them to arrive at their motel.

 **§§§**

Mulder quietly shut the door behind him as he followed Scully into their room. "Okay, what's going on, Scully?"

"That was Skinner. He said that they got enough evidence to place CSM, Senator Kennedy, and Blevins under arrest. He said that we have a weeks vacation starting now. They don't want us to go back to DC until they get them transported to Guantanamo."

Mulder's face broke into a wide grin. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Scully smiled back at him.

He lunged forward, capturing her within his long arms. She squealed as he lifted her up and began to spin her around.

She giggled. "Mulder! Mulder, stop!" she laughed.

He slowly stopped spinning and dropped her little feet back onto the old motel carpet. After kissing her once, he placed his hands in his cheeks and asked her, "Why LA?"

She bit her lip with a nervous smile and stepped up closer to him, winding her arms around his neck. "Los Angeles is one of the quickest places to elope."

"Scully?" Mulder bit back his smile. She couldn't be serious? Could she? Was she kidding?

Leaning up on her tiptoes until her lips lingered just before his, she let out a slow, hot puff of air. "Feel like marrying me, Mulder?" She giggled.

Mulder tilted his head back to look into her eyes. All he found there was giddiness and excitement.

"You're serious?" He needed to double check.

She nodded her head eagerly back at him, pulling her full bottom lip back between her teeth.

Dropping his hands below her butt, Mulder lifted her up so she could be level with him. Her ankles immediately locked behind his waist. "Oh, do I ever!" He groaned against her lips.

Scully snickered in delight. "What are we waiting for then?"

Replying with nothing but a grunt, Mulder carried her out towards the door. He set her down on the hood of the car and let her go with a lingering kiss to her cheek. "I'll go grab our bags."

"Mm'kay," she breathed lightly, moving her feet back and forth in small kicks.


	15. Los Angeles

**§§§**

The room was bright, filled with fluorescent, warm light. The walls were lined with white: white linen, white lace, white silk, white taffeta, white, white, white… white. They'd just gotten into the outer city of Los Angeles. Not long after that, Mulder pulled the car off on a random exit and drove until he found what he was looking for. A bridal shop.

It was only around seven AM when they found one, so they were waiting for the store to open. With three hours to spare until then, they decided to nap it out. Especially after driving pretty much all night to get here. They both fell asleep peacefully in their own respective seats, with their hands entertained over the gear shift.

Now here they were four hours after they initially arrived. Scully was being meticulous in her search for the right thing. She hasn't even tried anything on, yet. She's just been nit-picking through every aisle and row of dresses. Mulder had decided after about ten minutes of trying to help that he actually _was_ no help at all. He's been sitting down on a small ottoman ever since.

"I found it!" Scully shrieked, startling Mulder out of his sleepless haze.

He crinkled his forehead. "Huh?"

"We can go, now. This is what I want." She held up a dress for his inspection. It was… nontraditional, to say the least. But what the hell. Since when has their partnership been traditional? It was a… well, he honestly didn't know what the heck kind of fabric it was, but anyway… its length stopped just above the knee in a rebellious sort of way. Mulder wasn't sure if he's ever even actually seen a wedding dress that wasn't floor length. Long and slowly at the bottom, worth a tight synch around the waist and a rhinestone pattern to accent it, the dress was no doubt beautiful. The upper bodice was entirely made of intricate lace, with three-quarter sleeves to boot. It was truly gorgeous. It was… Scully.

"How much?" Mulder stepped closer to get a look at the price tag.

Biting her lip, "I, uh, I'm not sure. I'm kind of scared to look. I mean, after all, this _is_ a _wedding dress,_ Mulder."

Flipping the tag around with bated breath, Mulder exhaled quickly. "It's only $400. C'mon, I'll see if they'll take a check."

"Mulder…" Scully started slowly. "Are you sure? Four hundred dollars is kind of a lot... Especially for something I'm only going to wear once… to a courthouse of all places."

He placed his hands on her shoulders for emphasis. "Scully, I have money. Family money. You know that. I have my inheritance from when my grandparents died. I'll eventually have an inheritance from my parents at some point, too. Buying a wedding dress for _us getting married_ is not silly. You want the dress. You're getting the dress." He removed his hands gently.

"Yeah?" Scully smiled crookedly, a half sort of smile that made his heart want to melt.

"Yeah."

 **§§§**

The waiting room was small. Quiet. Overall, it was very drear. Scully tapped her manicured nails incessantly along the arm of her standard, boring wooden chair.

"Scully, calm down." Mulder placed his hand over Scully's, trying to quell her rising nerves.

"Sorry." She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "I just want to get in there."

He leaned in to kiss her chastely. "I know. Me, too."

"Plus, it feels very weird sitting in this formal, plain room… in a wedding dress. I know that we're getting married… but it still just feels odd. I feel overdress-"

A clerk hustled through one of the numerous doors. "Dana Scully and Fox Mulder? Judge Jones will see you, now." She waited for both of them to get up and make their way towards her before moving from the doorway. She led them through to the Judge's Chambers before quickly turning around. "You guys filled out your marriage license, right?"

They both nodded their heads.

"Okay," she smiled. "Good. Just checking." Opening the door, she waved them in with a gesture of her hand.

"Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, I presume?" The grey-haired judge stated stoically from behind his desk, offering out his hand to each of them.

"Yes, your honor," Mulder replied to the man.

"Great! Let's get started.

 **§§§**

After flying through the parking lot and slamming the car to a stop, they both hastily exited the vehicle. The hotel that Mulder had licked was nice, regal, elegant. It wasn't over-the-top fancy, but it was a leap and a jump from the usual spots they stayed in. He'd gone and dropped Scully off at a local mall to shop for an hour (as per her request), while he found them a hotel before they went and did their civil ceremony. And now here they were, just married. Finally.

They met each other around the front of the car and stood there, with about ten feet of space in between them. They worth both smiling stupidly at each other.

Scully slowly opened up her handbag and pulled out the room key. They were on the tenth floor and there was an elevator just a few feet down the corridor of the side entrance they'd parked near. Slipping the key card in between her index and middle fingers, she quirked her eyebrow at him while simultaneously pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth.

Mulder flinched at her low blow.

She took it as a sign and took on in a full-fledged sprint into the side door of the hotel.

He took off after her in an instant.

Inside the building, there was an elderly couple just exiting the elevator, starting to head in the opposite direction towards the main lobby. They heard the fast-paced stomp of heels on carpet and turned around just in time to see Mulder catch up to Scully and grab her around the waist. She giggled and squealed as he yanked her sideways into the empty elevator car, using a move similar to a football maneuver- had Mulder been the player and Scully the ball.

The man smirked at his wife who looked on at the scene with reverence.

"Remember when that used to be us?" She smiled nostalgically.

He grinned and wrapped his arm around her hip, pulling her closer. He placed a kiss on the side of her forehead. "It still is, my love. It still is."

 **§§§**

Scully yelped in surprise- even though she knew he'd catch up to her eventually- as Mulder grabbed a hold of her and pulled her into the elevator. He didn't even bother waiting for the doors to shut before he had her pinned up against the wall.

Within seconds, Mulder's tongue was down her throat and she had worked herself up into a frenzy, rocking her hips up and down his lower torso, searching for any kind of release from the tension that has been simmering between her legs for the past seven and a half years.

They were so absorbed in each other and the lust that was finally allowed to be acted upon fully, that they didn't register that the elevator and even stopped. That is until someone loudly cleared their throat in greeting. Mulder and Scully slowly pulled apart from each other and realize she show that they had been putting on for God knows how long. Turns out that the elevator wasn't as empty as they thought it was.

Standing up against the opposite wall, were two teenage girls. They d obviously just come up from the pool, considering their attire: bathing suits, flip flops, and towels. They were blushing beet red.

Scully, upon seeing them, suddenly became hyper-aware of the situation that surrounded her. She wasn't overly fond of public displays of affection, and now here they were I the presence of two girls who couldn't be any older than 16. Mulder s hands were on her ass. Her legs were around his waist. And she had just been basically dry humping him in the damn elevator. All of which these girls saw. Fucking fabulous.

Somehow seeing to see her discomfort, Mulder slowly let her slide down until her heels clicked down onto the linoleum floor. She brushed her hair behind her ear and spoke shaking. "Sorry about that… we thought we were alone…"

One of the girls snickered, while the other one only seemed to blush further.

"We, uhm, just got married."

The girls smiled at them just as the elevator doors began to open.

Mulder and Scully exited the car sheepishly, making sure to pace themselves as they walked. But as soon as Scully heard the elevator doors shut, she turned her head around to look back at Mulder, who was lagging a few steps behind her, gave him a coy smile, and took off running, again.

She could hear him laughing as he chased after her. She turned sharply around a corner and quickly swiped the key car to get into their room.

With a hop, skip, and a jump, Scully quickly grabbed a few items of clothing and locked herself in the bathroom.

"Scully?' Mulder worriedly called out from the other side of the door. Why did she lock herself in the bathroom?

"In a second, Mulder!" Scully yelled out to him. "I have a surprise for you!"

She could audibly hear Mulder gulp from the other side of the door. "Oh, oh-ok-okay… Scully…"

Scully smiled. She had him right where she wanted him.

Ten minutes.

She made him wait ten minutes.

His eyes were drooping closed out of exhaustion as he leaned up against the headboard of the bed when she finally emerged.

"Mulder," she smirked coyly, alerting him to her presence.

"Hmm," he hummed sleepily.

"Open your eyes, Mulder."

She watched as his eyes opened slowly, and then hurriedly as he took in her appearance.

He stuttered. He was speechless. She looked… otherworldly…

"Mulder," she laughed, reveling in his surprised look of shock and awe. Her outfit was simple, yet elegant. She was wearing an ivory colored slip. It had spaghetti straps and the fabric stopped just below the curve of her ass. If this was his reaction now, she couldn't wait for him to see what she had on underneath. Underneath her slip was a matching set of bra and panties, deep red in color with lace for fabric. She felt a rush of arousal just thinking about what was about to happen.

"Scully," he breathed gruffly, moving to sit on the side of the bed with his feet dangling over the side. He got up at a tantalizingly slow pace. With small steps, he walked out towards her, only stopping when he reached about two feet away from her body. She was close enough to feel his body heat, but still barely out of arm's reach. "C'mere."

With a half a step forward, Scully's movement spurred Mulder into action. He swept her up in his arms and hauled her up to where she actually had to lean down to kiss him. Their lips met with a fire fueled passion. They were both desperate for more.

Mulder stumbled back over towards the bed and laid her down with a gentle reverence. He tried to stand back up, but her feet were locked behind his back and prevented him from going anywhere.

At the first swipe of his tongue, Scully moaned deeply, clawing at his back in a futile attempt to pull him closer to her. She still needed more. Pushing her palms back on his chest, she ordered, "Off. Everything. Off."

Before Scully could even process his movement, Mulder was back on top of her clad in only his boxers. With shaky hands, he pulled at the bottom of her slip, throwing it haphazardly onto the floor behind him once he got it off.

Scully could have sworn that she watched his eyes dilate at least three times their size when he caught the sight of her in her red lingerie. God help her; he looked… primal… She felt like prey, and she was loving every second of it.

"God, Scully," he groaned. "You're going to be the death of me." He leaned down and suctioned his lips onto her neck, settling himself on his elbows so he wouldn't crush her petite frame.

"Mmmm." Scully tilted her head to the side to allow him more room to work. "That sounds like a challenge to me…"

He grumbled something into the soft skin above her breast. "You're perfect. I can't believe that you're mine now." Mulder shivered as Scully raked her nails through his hair.

"Oh, you better prepare yourself." Scully purred into his ear. "Because you're mine, too, now." She danced her fingertips across the skin of his neck and upper back, choosing now to grind her hips against his stomach and reach down to firmly cup his erection. "Don't expect to get much sleep with me around every night." She bit down on his earlobe and giggled as his hips thrust involuntarily against her hand. She wasn't above pleading, she decided- especially not after how long she's been waiting for this moment to actually happen.

"Mulder, make love to me."


	16. Wanting You

**§§§**

Morning soon came only to find the two newlyweds laying in the middle of the bed… nose to nose… with their arms wrapped around each other. Mulder's leg was haphazardly hooked around her left thigh, preventing her from making any sort of movement away from his body. It was fine. She didn't want to move away anyway.

When she finally decided to open her eyes and greet the day, she was startled to see that Mulder was already awake. "Hi," she said bashfully, the memories of last night making themselves prominent inside her brain. Her mouth broke into a small, shy, happy smile.

Mulder's mouth did the same. "Hi," he breathed back in reverence, running his fingertips up and down her spine slowly.

She shivered at his touch.

"Hey, Scully?"Mulder asked quietly as she snuggled her head in underneath his chin, burrowing her way into a comfortable position.

"Hmm?" She hummed with an uncommitted sleepy tone.

"We're married now…" His hand stopped moving along her spine and now- instead- settled on her butt. He gave it a firm squeeze before continuing his journey around her body. "You're my wife."

"And you're my husband." Scully smiled into his collarbone.

"How'd that happen?"

She grinned fully. "It took too long to happen."

"But we're here now…"

"That's a very astute observation Agent Mulder," Scully purred, running her nails gently along his jawline.

"Oh, so that's how we're going to play it, is it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking abo-"

Mulder flipped her onto her back before she could finish her sentence. She squealed at the sudden movement.

"Don't play coy _Agent_ Scully…" Mulder playfully growled as he lowered himself fully onto her giggling form.

"Mulder, just cut the crap and kiss me already.." She laughed, only to get cut off by the sudden presence of his lips on hers.

 **§§§**

The bliss lasted three days. Only three days until they got the call. The call to come back. Mulder groaned from the passenger seat as he looked over at his wife. "Why do we have to go back again?"

Scully took her eyes off the road and looked at him briefly. "Because there's a case, Mulder. An urgent one. And besides that, Skinner said it was safe now."

"But I just want to do you 24/7," he whined.

"Mulder!" Scully scolded with a chuckle. "What are you? Fifteen?"

"No, I'm excited that I married the love of my life."

She said nothing, but took his hand from his lap and intertwined their fingers together with a small smile. "I know how you feel. We'll have time for more of that when we get back."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." He huffed with frustration. "We waited so long, Scully. Just a few more days alone would have been nice."

"We can make up for it-." Scully smirked.

"Oh, trust me; we will. But, Scully… it's like I got a taste of heaven and now I'm being forced to sit back and not have it again."

"Ohh.." she nodded subtly. She figured out what he was hinting at. A devious thought popped into her head. "Get maintenance to put new locks on the office door and then that won't be a problem."

Mulder's head whipped around towards her in record speed. "Scully! Are you serious?I never thought you'd-"

"Don't underestimate me, Mulder. I've been waiting for you for a long time. I'm not about to let trivial things like that get in the way of us."

 **§§§**

Three days later found Mulder and Scully _not_ having mind-blowing sex like they had hoped… but instead they were stuck in meetings… all day… every day. Their case that they were called back to DC for somehow managed to turn into an all-department concern. So basically, neither of them had been home since they got back. Heck, they hadn't even really seen each other at all since they got back.

Currently, Scully was doing three back-to-back autopsies, while Mulder was in a group meeting trying to create a revised profile on the serial murderer that they were chasing. By the time she finished, she was completely exhausted… but for obvious reasons… she was also extremely wired. All it would take is one short call to Mulder and all of her problems would be solved. She took her phone out of her pocket while she was walking out of the lab and pressed the first speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Mulder, it's me..."

"Heeyy, Scully," Mulder drawled. "Did you finally finish those autopsies?"

"Yes, I did." Scully smirked into the receiver.

"So, is there any chance that you'll be able to come home tonight?"

She could hear the anticipation and the excited hope in his voice. "Yeah, actually… Say Mulder… where are you right now?"

"I just got back to the office. Why?" Mulder was confused by the suspicious tone that she was expressing.

"Ohh, nothing… Hey, I gotta go now. I'll see you tonight."

Scully hung up on him before he could even respond with disappointment. She smiled as she continued to make her way down to the basement. Her plan was going to work.

 **§§§**

The door to the office was wide open when Scully got there. Mulder was turned away from the door, looking for files in the cabinet. Scully slowly made her way into the office and dropped her shoes quietly inside the door. She had taken them off in the elevator so that she wouldn't make any noise on her walk in.

Slamming the door shut with all of her might, Scully grinned at Mulder as he jumped in surprise. Papers flew everywhere, causing her to laugh quietly under her breath.

"Scul-"

She cut him off by turning the lock on the door. Turning around with a spin, Scully gave Mulder the eyebrow. "Do you think you can be quiet?"

Mulder's eyes widened; he was finally catching on. "You and I both know that I'm not the one that needs to be asked that," he retorted slyly.

A grin broke out over her features. Quickly padding over towards him, Scully crawled on top of the desk and swept all of the files and pencils onto the floor.

"Are you sure?"

"Mulder," Scully sighed with amusement. "Shut up and come here."

"Just had to check," he smirked as he grabbed her ankles and yanked them down towards the edge of the desk.

She immediately crossed her ankles together behind Mulder's hips and wrapped her hand in his tie, jerking his face closer to hers. This kiss wasn't like their normal ones- ones where they started off slow and gentle before gaining in passion. Oh, no. This kiss was fiery. It was the kind of kiss that left you dizzy with spotted vision. It was so intense that Scully let out a low pitched moan on accident.

Mulder pried his mouth away from hers. Scully tried to follow him as he moved backwards; she wasn't ready for it to end. "Shhhh," he reprimanded. "You have to be quiet remember?" Mulder scolded her softly.

"It was your fucking fault," Scully bit back, impatient to continue. She had been deprived of contact with him for too long. They were definitely still in that 'honeymoon phase' where they wanted nothing but sex and physical contact all the time.

Mulder chuckled at her. "You cuss like a sailor when you're turned on."

"Well, if it bugs you then you should fix the problem."

"Oh, yeah?" Mulder leaned further back away from her body, causing her to grab ahold of his tie again to keep him from moving away entirely. "And how would I 'fix' the problem?"

"Mulder," Scully growled, her impatience leading to slight irritation. "I don't have the patience or the willpower to sit here and do foreplay right now. I just need you to fuck me."

"Oh, so that's what you need then?" Mulder couldn't help but try and push her a little further. He wanted to know what sex with an angry Scully was like.

She angrily bit at his lip as she tried to drag him back closer. "God, you drive me fucking insane." Scully had had enough. She was done cooperating with his distractions. Pushing back on his chest, she shoved him into the office chair and straddled his legs.

"Take what you want. You have total control right now." Mulder's voice dropped down to his lower register. He was trying to bait her.

"No." She growled.

"No?"

"No." Scully grinded her hips down onto him roughly. "I don't want control. I want you to shove me down onto that desk and take me. Hard."

Mulder's eyes widened. That wasn't what he was expecting at all. "Scully?" his voice cracked embarrassingly.

She quirked her eyebrow. "What? Didn't think I had it in me?" Leaning forward, she licked the outer edge of his ear and then whispered, "You're about to figure out just how dirty I like it."

"Oh, god." Mulder groaned, letting his head drop onto her shoulder.

"Don't make me beg," she purred.

He shot up from the chair, with his hands around her hips and ass. She squealed as he sharply dropped her onto the desk. He leaned closer to her with his hands on the edge of the desk. "I love you, Scully. I've really missed you a lot…" He kissed her nose, which caused her to giggle. Using her distraction to his advantage, he flipped her around onto her stomach mid-giggle. Her giggle turned into a loud gasp. "Now, I'm not about to leave my new wife unsatisfied," he said as he grabbed her hips and pulled her back towards him.


	17. Scully's Little Secret

**A/N: I know I'm messing up the timeline… again… but it's all for a reason. I promise.**

 **§§§**

Three months later…

Two pink lines.

Scully looked back and forth from the stick to the directions on the box just to be sure. Two pink lines. That meant yes. That meant that everything was about to change. The disbelief that plagued her features washed over into a bout of nervous energy. Yes. Yes. The lines meant 'yes.'

Running out of the bathroom in the basement, Scully was confounded to find that Mulder wasn't in the office. 10:15am, the clock said. Coming further into the office, Scully found a note sitting on the desk. "Court appointment 11. They want you at 12. See you afterwards."

The happiness drained out of her and replaced itself with dread. Court. Having to go to a court hearing was just about her least favorite thing in the world. It's too bad that that detail came with the job. Grabbing her keys, she reluctantly headed out to her car and started the tedious drive down to the courthouse.

Even though they were married, lived in the same place, and worked at the same place, they still drove in to work separately. It helped to throw suspicion off of them. No on in the office knew that they were married, or even together, it would be highly frowned upon. They didn't want to get split up. Even Skinner didn't know. All the office knew was that Scully has been wearing _someone's_ ring for about six months or so. That was all going to change. Pretty soon people were going to _really_ start talking.

She had noticed that something was off a few days ago. She and Mulder were watching tv when a commercial with a puppy in it came on. It made her cry. She never cried. Not for trivial things such as that. When Mulder asked her what was wrong she didn't know how to respond other than saying she just missed Queequeg, her old dog. Now he probably thinks she wants another dog... Maybe in a few years...

Anyway, after the whole crying over a commercial thing, she subsequently realized that her boobs were a little bigger. They were starting to spill out of her favorite shelf-bra. And finally, yesterday she woke up with an upset stomach. It wasn't quite enough to throw up, but almost. That's why today she took an extra ten minutes on her morning coffee run to swing into the small pharmacy that was right next door to the coffee shop. And now here she was, pulling up to the courthouse with big news. News that she wouldn't be able to tell him for what was most likely going to be another four hours, at least. And worst of all, she had to sit by him for those four hours.

 **§§§**

Five hours later…

"Gee, Scully. Don't cha just love spending all day in court?" Mulder joked as they walked back out to the parking garage.

She grunted in response as she stumbled after him. All excitement that she had had earlier in the day had completely left her body. As soon as she had gotten into the courthouse and sat down, all of the energy she had vanished. All she wanted was a nap. In fact, she did nap. She napped through half of the hearing. Hopefully no one noticed that she had dozed off onto Mulder's shoulder.

"Thanks for drooling on me back there, partner," he joked, throwing a half smile her way. "I think there's still a puddle stain on my shirt."

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Tired."

"Hey," Mulder turned around and stopped walking. "Are you okay to drive?"

She sighed. "Probably not..."

"Okay. I'll drive." He grabbed her shoulders and steered her towards his car. "We'll pick your car back up in the morning."

It wasn't until both of them had sat down and closed their doors that they recognized the scenario. Making wary eye contact, Mulder turned the ignition on the car. Sure enough, the repulsive voice of one Ms. Phoebe Greene, "Terror of Scotland Yard," came over the speakers in the car.

"Oh, God." Scully let her head drop back against the headrest, a wave of either disgust or late-coming morning sickness hitting her senses like a lead weight.. "Not again."

Mulder looked over at her with a worried eye. Her… opposition… to Phoebe was- and always had been- quite obvious. To be honest, he wasn't very fond of the woman either. How a younger version of himself managed to get involved with a snake like her, or Diana for that matter, was completely beyond him.

As soon as the tape was done playing, someone jerked the driver's side door open, causing Mulder and Scully to jump.

"Well, aren't we looking rather ghostly?" A tall woman with brown hair and a pixie cut piped with a delicate English accent.

Mulder took a deep breath, preparing for the game that she was going to try and play.

Scully narrowed her eyes at the woman and made it clear that she wasn't a fan of hers.

Mulder glanced her way, silently asking whether or not he should get out of the car. With subtlety, Scully shook her head no, immediately closing her eyes afterwards because the movement made her dizzy.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" Phoebe squeaked with charm. She reached in and pulled on his arm. Mulder looked over at Scully, an apology written in his expression as he got out of the car.

Scully gritted her teeth together and opened her door to get out too, slamming it after she was all the way out. She was not about to let that woman lay a single hand on him. He was hers.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" Phoebe purred, taking a step closer to Mulder.

He took another step backwards in an attempt to get out of her reach. "For what?"

"Saving your life. One tends not to make the same mistake twice."

Mulder rolled his eyes, biting back at her comment with sarcasm, "I'll try to remember that."

Phoebe caught on to his distaste, but ignored it anyway. "You know, I think you'll find that some mistakes are quite worth making twice," she said with a sly grin.

Mulder took another step back and held up his left hand. He had put it on by chance today since they were just supposed to have spent all day down in the basement. They were still trying to hide their marriage from the bureau, which is why Scully wore her ring and he didn't when they were at work. Usually, she would put his ring on her necklace alongside her cross or something of the sort. "Phoebe, I'm married. And even if I weren't, I'd still turn you down. I'm sorry."

"I bet it's probably a sham, isn't it?" She scoffed. "It can't be that serious of a relationship. After all, you are in it.."

Mulder scolded at her. "Phoebe, I'd like for you to meet my partner, Dana Scully."

"Hello," Scully smirked sarcastically over at Phoebe and used an icy tone that definitely sent the signal that she wasn't fond of the woman.

"She hates me," Phoebe leaned in and whispered to Mulder.

"Good. She should hate you." Mulder replied back.

His comment visibly threw Phoebe off. She was not expecting that at all.

Before she could close her mouth and come up with a witty retort, Mulder was already moving back towards the car. "Come by the office in an hour. Scully and I will listen to your presentation of the case. I can't promise that we'll help." He got into the car and shut the door firmly. Scully followed suit, making sure to send a disapproving look Phoebe's way.

 **§§§**

Everything Scully had wanted to tell Mulder got put on the back burner the second Phoebe showed up. She had already been exhausted from who knows what, but then Phoebe walked up to their car and her mood immediately went further south. It was enough just to have met the woman once, and now again in this life, it was too much. Just the sound of that retched woman's voice alone made her nauseous. There was nothing Scully wanted more than to rub the fact that Mulder was married to her in Phone's face. But that would be petty. Scully would not stoop that low just to blow their cover.

And now here they were, stuck in the office with that same woman, while she gave her spiel about a pyromaniac from England. Now was definitely not the time to bring anything up. Especially this.

"Well, Phoebe," Mulder said, drawing Scully out of her own mind and back into the present conversation. "I need to talk to my- to Scully," he caught himself, "before we decide on anything..."

"Fine. Just give me a ring when you reach an agreement," Phoebe spat out with irritation, storming her way out of the office and towards the elevator.

"C'mon." Mulder held his hand out to her. "Let's talk about this over pizza and a salad."

 **§§§**

They ended up sitting in a small, cozy Italian restaurant, called "Pappalardo's," in a small booth table in the back. The lighting was low and the faint sound of Rosemary Clooney and Dean Martin wafted through the place alongside the smell of good food. They were both sitting on the same side of the booth, with Scully next to the wall, tucked underneath Mulder's left arm.

Having already plowed her way through more than her share of the garlic bread and the Antipasto salad, Scully was feeling replenished enough to get over her bad mood and enjoy the evening. They hadn't actually talked about work so far, which she was very glad for. The meal has been nothing but small smiles, sneaking kisses, and hands falling in random places just for the sake of comfort in being close.

Finally having built up enough courage to tell him, Scully turned into his side and looked up at him. Their eyes made contact and she couldn't manage to hide the tiny grin from forming on her lips. "Mulder," she started lowly. God, he was going to be so happy. So happy. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you… Something you should know..."

Mulder's brow furrowed. "What is it, Scully?"

I'm- We're," she stumbled over her words. "You're going to-"

"Alrighty, I have your guys' pizza right here for ya," the waiter chirped politely as he approached their table, consequently breaking the moment and causing Scully to pull away slightly from Mulder and remove her gaze from him.

Mulder waited until after the waiter had left to speak up. "What was it that you wanted to say, Scully?" He grabbed a slice of pizza and put it on his plate. She had already had her salad and never ate the pizza anyway, so he didn't grab her any. It was too greasy for her healthy tastes.

"Nothing, Mulder. I'll tell you later." Her confidence had dropped back down, the interruption having caused for its downfall. That.. and the pizza… looked _really_ good. She normally didn't eat things like that, but right now… _whoo boy_. Nothing sounded more delicious than a huge slice of that hot, gooey goodness.

Reaching over him tactfully, Scully snatched his slice right out of his hand and directed it towards her mouth. Mulder's eyes widened. His eyebrows raised. This was something unusual. This side of Scully was rarer than than that swamp monster they chased a few years back.

She felt his gaze and turned her face towards him. "What?" she asked through a mouthful of cheese.

"Are you feeling alright?" Mulder tucked a strand of hair behind her eyes.

"Huh?" She got a little paranoid. Was it that obvious? How could he tell?

He leaned back a little, fully taking her in. "You're eating pizza, Scully. I haven't seen you eat pizza since before your cancer..."

"What? A girl can't have a slice of pizza when she wants one?"

"That's not what I said, Scully," Mulder sighed. "I'm just trying to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine," Scully said quietly, swallowing another bite. "Trust me," she chewed on her lip. "I'm fine. Just hungry."

"Okay." Mulder said cautiously. She could tell that he didn't really believe her. She'd been acting off for a few weeks, but today especially. Scully knew she was going to have to find the courage and the right moment to tell him. Soon.

 **A/N: Hey, guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you want to happen next. I'm looking for suggestions to help get the writing juices flowing. There probably won't be another update for a few weeks. But never fear, this story is** _ **definitely not**_ **over yet. Thanks for stickin with me(:**


	18. Telling Mulder

It wasn't until two hours after Mulder left that Scully recalled exactly what had happened in Boston during the case. Grabbing her keys in a panic, Scully rushed out to her car and breezed out of the parking structure of the Hoover Building.

Trying to call his cell phone, Scully kept getting nothing but his voicemail. "Damnit. Damnit. Damnit.." she kept muttering in worry under her breath as she weaved through rush hour traffic. She _had_ to get to that banquet. If she were to be late… if she were to not get there in time… she didn't want to even think about it.

Mulder should be almost to his hotel in Boston by now. He had gone by himself to arrest the pyromaniac that was behind all of the fires. But they had forgot about one thing. One really big thing. Cecil had been the one to save the kids, not Mulder. Even though they were both up there. If Mulder collapses again, those kids will die. Scully pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, urging the car to go faster.

She was not about to let those kids die or Mulder. Especially not before she told him about the baby. She'd be damned if that happened. They hadn't talked much on the way back from the courthouse. They went home and Scully took a bath and went to bed. She didn't know how to tell him still and to be honest, she still wasn't really in the mood. They woke up and went to work the next day. Mulder made sure to get her anything and everything that she wanted, just to try and make up for his ex showing up. He knew how jealous she got, even though she tried to hide it. She had wanted to tell him about the baby this afternoon, but Phoebe showed up, yet again. He went off to Boston with the English bitch. And Scully stayed back. He had wanted her to come with him, but she trusted him… and also she didn't think she could stand sitting in the car with the vile woman.

Now she was stuck racing against time because she couldn't handle a little competition.

 **§§§**

Mulder dodged Phoebe's grip for what felt like the hundredth time since he agreed to come to Boston with her. God, he wished Scully were here. He shook his head subconsciously, she had been acting really weird lately and he couldn't quite figure out why. It was like period hormones on overload. And she definitely wasn't on her period. The only other possible conclusion that he could come up was that she was jealous of Phoebe.

She had absolutely no reason to be, though. He wasn't even attracted to Phoebe anymore- or Diana, for that matter. Scully had replaced them all. None of them could even hold a candle to Scully. None of the ones who came before her even mattered. Scully was all he saw. Scully is and always will be want he sees, what he wants. He is hers and she is his. Forever.

He brushed Phoebe's hand away from his tuxedo sleeve again and sent an icy glare her way. He was just about to ask her to shove off when the fire alarm started blaring. He ran over to the panel on the wall. "It's the fourth floor" He told Phoebe.

"That's where the children are!"

He bolted up the stairs, taking two at a time, leaving Phoebe sputtering in his wake. By the time he reached the door to the fourth floor, there was already smoke filtering through into the stairwell. A shot of fear rushed through him. 'Shit,' he muttered to himself. He blinked hard at swallowed the anxiety that came coursing through his veins.

Mustering up all of his courage, he jerked open the door and covered his mouth with his shirt. Immediately, he could hear the frantic pleas of the children. He knew that he couldn't arrest Cecile yet because they didn't have all of the evidence sorted out, so he would have to let the man help carry the children out if he showed up again. As much as that thought sickened him, since Cecile was the one to start the fire, he had to focus on one thing at a time.

Mulder grabbed the two boys and made a run for the stairwell again. The flames were growing taller and the density of the smoke was intensifying by the second. He didn't have much time. Suddenly, Cecile popped out from one of the doors as Mulder was rushing by. He gritted his teeth. "There are two more children back there." He nodded his head backwards. "Can you grab 'em?"

"Sure thing!" Cecile smiled.

It made Mulder's skin crawl but he had to accept the help. There was no way he could grab all four of them and succeed in making it out. He dropped the kids he was carrying off right outside the first floor door. There was a crowd of people crowding around them already. The boys' parents came forward quickly, as did a few firemen. Before they could thank him, Mulder turned around and ran back up the stairs. He needed to make sure Cecile was getting the other two to safety.

§§§

Scully ran into the hotel and saw the throng of worried people immediately. She rushed through and glanced around for Mulder. Nothing. She took a chance and ripped open the door that they were all facing before the firemen had a chance to stop her.

Just as she stepped inside the doorway, two small children rushed past her. Looking up at the next flight of stairs, she watched in horror as Cecile Lively pushed Mulder backwards. "Mulder!" She screamed, watching his falling body fall back and tumble down the stairs. "No!" She yelled. Mulder reached her feet within a few seconds. She was torn between chasing after Cecile, towards the fire, and staying back and helping Mulder. Someone must have heard her scream because before she could make a decision, two police officers came roaring into the small stairwell.

Scully quickly pointed up at Cecile's retreating form. "There. That man just assaulted a federal agent!" She yelled.

They cops took after Cecile, with a few firemen following suit with enough gear to put out the fire on the fourth floor.

Scully knelt down to the ground and, upon smelling how thick the smoke was getting, realized that she needed to get herself and Mulder out of the stairwell and into fresh air. The smoke would definitely not be good for the baby. She grabbed his limp frame by the arm and with great effort, slowly tugged him out into the hallway. "Back away!" She ordered the crowd. She needed space for him to breath. Someone handed her a wet washcloth- she wasn't sure who; she wasn't paying attention- and she gently wiped his face and neck down, trying desperately to get all of the soot off of him.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Mulder came to and blinked hastily up at her. She watched as the look of recognition crossed his features, only to be interrupted by an intense fit of coughing. He groaned out in pain as he clutched his shoulder. She immediately went into doctor mode. He must have fallen down those stairs harder than she originally thought.

She took her eyes off of him and looked around. "I'm a doctor! We need to get this man to the hospital! I need people to carry him to him car!" Two well dressed party guests stepped up in their black tuxedos and offered their assistance.

 **§§§**

 _Six hours later…_

Looking up from her lap, Scully nervously looked over at the injured man lying on the hospital bed next to her. She let out a sigh of relief. When they admitted him to the hospital, they were worried about disk dislocation in his back and also internal bleeding. They made her wait in the waiting room while they ran emergency tests. Even though she demanded to be let through because she was a doctor, not to mention a federal agent, they still made her stay put.

She'd been in his room now for about an hour. The time that she had spent waiting left her feeling exhausted. She almost had a few panic attacks in that waiting room, but the only thing that made her calm down each time was knowing that it could affect the baby in a negative way. She didn't want to risk miscarrying.

The doctor walked in and interrupted her thoughts. "Well, Mrs. Mulder… we have the results back from the MRI, the CT scans, and the xrays. No broken bones, no internal bleeding, just some swelling and a few bone bruises." The doctors looked up from his paperwork just in time to see Scully smile gratefully and grab onto Mulder's hand. "He can be discharged within the hour, if you'd like."

Scully clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth and glanced from her sleeping husband back to the doctor. It felt weird… having someone actually say her legal name out loud. Not a lot of people knew about the marriage still… not even Scully's mother or Melissa. She turned towards the doctor fully. "Yes, please. I'd like to take him home as soon as possible."

Once they were in the car, Scully grabbed ahold of Mulder's hand. He was still pretty dazed from the pain medication they gave him when he was admitted. With his head leaned against the window, his fingers languidly curled back around hers and let their hands rest on his thigh. Neither of them let go the entire drive.

 **§§§**

Three days. It took him three days to start functioning normally again. Scully still hadn't told him about the baby; she wanted to wait until he wasn't hopped up on pain medications and could actually move well on his own again. He still had a small falter in his step, but it wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it.

Today had gone pretty well for him. He got up early and actually made her breakfast this morning, which was a blessing. The only problem was that her stomach wasn't too happy with the smell of cooking bacon. Thankfully, the sound of its sizzling mostly drowned out the sounds of her throwing up from inside the bathroom. Mulder didn't look like he had heard, so she left it at that. The rest of the morning went by fast. She went our grocery shopping and when she came home, she was surprised to see that he had cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed, and talent he trash out. It was right then, standing in the doorway, that she decided that not only did she _need_ to tell him, but it also felt like the first actually good chance she'd been given to do so.

"Hey, Mulder?"She asked timidly as she set her purse down on the counter and peeled her jacket away from her shoulders.

"What's up, Scully?" He looked up from his seat on the couch, where he was watching an animal documentary. He noticed the weird, almost frightened look in her eyes and immediately turned it off. "Hey, what's wrong?" The worry was evident in his tone as he approached her.

She stepped closer to him and ran the tip of her finger along the collar of his Knicks shirt. "I, uh, I need to .. tell you… something…"

"What? What is it?" Mulder's mind was jumping to all of the wrong conclusions, and Scully could practically see the color draining from his face.

She grabbed his face with both of her hands and dragged his head down lower to hers. Her hands were positioned so that her pinky fingers were under his ears, and the rest were resting on his cheeks. Moving at an agonizingly slow pace, she brought his lips to touch her own lightly. Never closing her eyes so she could see his reaction, she whispered against his mouth, "I'm pregnant."

Mulder s eyes widened in astonishment as he processed what she just said. He wasn't sure if her heard her clearly. "What?" He asked, his voice taking on a high tone that was unusual for him.

"I'm pregnant, Mulder." Scully breathed, the words coming easide to her now, stronger. Her lips brushed across his own as she spoke.

"You're sure?" There was that high tone again.

She giggled, which was something that has slowly been becoming more and more common these past few months since they came back. "Oh, I'm sure." She pecked his bottom lip chastely before pulling away to get a better look at his expression.

He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back in before she had the chance to.

Their lips melded with a newcomer familiarity. They both knew how the other liked to be kissed. They sunk into it quickly, a kiss of excitement and passion, soon turning into a slow, longing, sort of connection. Scully felt like she was on fire.

Mulder's knees hit the back of the couch and startled him. He pulled away from her mouth to look at where they were. At some point while they were making out, Scully had apparently started walking them back towards the couch. He grinned.

"Sit." She begged with a small whimper.

"No." He said gruffly, grabbing the back of her thighs with intent and hoisting her up so she could lock her legs around his torso. "Bed."

Scully grinned into his neck, where she was now gently sucking and biting. She moaned when Mulder grabbed her head and guided her back towards his mouth. They reconnected with a renewed sense of urgency. Scully began to rock her center against his torso as he walked them back towards the master bedroom. God, she was practically mewling and she _knew_ it.

Mulder laid her down onto the sheets and pulled her slacks off of her legs. He slowly kissed up the inside of her right leg. His mouth left a trail along her stomach and chest. Once he finally got done kissing up her neck, Midler peppered her face with kisses.

She giggled again in response. "Does this mean your happy, Mulder?"

Aligning his head with hers, nose to nose, eyes to eyes, he kissed her lips gently. "This is one of the best days of my life, Scully." He replied truthfully.

 **A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed. I'll be starting the next chapter for this story tonight or tomorrow. Also, if you haven't already, go check out my new holiday short story that i'm starting called "Christmas at Maggie's" thanks for all of the love and support. Hope you all had a great holiday season, and I hope the effects of last night's season premiere haven't left you needing therapy(: happy reading**


	19. Telling Mom

_The next day…_

 **§§§**

"Are you sure about this? We don't have to tell her today if you don't feel up to it…"

Mulder glanced over at his wife who was sitting in the passenger seat of his car. Grabbing her hand, he brought it up to his lips delicately as he weaved through the darkened Bethesda streets. "Yes, I'm sure. We celebrated last night. Your mom should know as soon as possible."

Scully smiled at him thankfully and rubbed her hand on his knee. Giving an experimental squeeze, her smile grew wider when he groaned in response to her touch.

"Don't, Scully. Not now. We are going to see your mother."

This caused Scully to chuckle with mirth. "You know what turtlenecks do to me, Mulder… I don't think I can be held responsible for my actions right now."

Mulder eyed her warily. "Scully.." he said with reverence, drawing out the syllables in her name.

"Uh uh," she decided to tease him just a bit more. Her hand crept slowly up the length of his thigh, just barely brushing over his budding erection. "That's Mrs. Mulder to you, big boy."

He tensed immediately. "Jesus, Scully." They pulled into the driveway and he stopped the car. "You're just insatiable this week... aren't you?"

"It's your fault. It's all of the baby hormones and that turtleneck."

"But who's fault is it that I need this turtleneck?" Mulder glanced down at his beige turtleneck and then undid both of their seatbelts and reached over into her seat, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her over to his seat.

She settled down into his lap with a sigh, the memories of last night… and this morning… flooding her senses and making her hot. Damn these uncontrollable hormones. "Sorry," she shrugged unapologetically. "I couldn't help myself."

"Yeah, sure you couldn't," Mulder said gruffly, grabbing her ass for emphasis.

She groaned into his ear.

"I counted at least fifteen hickies, Scully." Mulder chastised her. "Fifteen," he added again as he ground her hips down onto his in order to provide a little relief from the sharp ache in between his thighs.

Scully moaned again and nipped at his ear. "You didn't seem to be complaining about it last night."

She had a point, he thought. After she told him the news, they had both lost control. Whatever combinations of happiness and hormones were taking place in her body… he wasn't about to say no to anything. The sex they'd been having before was fantastic- the best he's ever had- but last night… last night was insane. 'Sex goddess' was the term that came to his mind first. She was like a caged animal now. "Scully, we need to get out now." He pulled her head back so he could kiss her. "We can have more sex later but right now we need to go tell your mom everything. Hopefully she won't be too mad at us for eloping and not telling her."

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout.

"Scully..." He laughed at her childishness. This had honestly been the best twenty four hours of his entire existence and now here she was, his Scully, his _wife_ , with a sad puppy dog look on her face because he doesn't want to have car sex in her mother's driveway in the middle of the day. "Come on." He opened the car door and lifted her off of his lap and onto the concrete. "We're getting out. Right now."

They got out and walked up to the front door, not surprised in the least to find it open and unlocked. "Mom?" Scully called through as they entered the house. "It's us!"

"In the kitchen, Dana!" Maggie called back to them from the other room.

Walking through the house, Scully took Mulder's hand as she led him along. "Hi, mo-" She stopped short at the sight of the man sitting at the kitchen counter eating lunch. "Hi, mom," Scully tried again. "Hi, Bill..." Mulder tensed uncomfortably behind her. She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "It's okay," she whispered to him.

"Dana," Maggie moved forward to embrace her, not taking notice of the addition of a wedding band next to her engagement ring on her left hand. "It's so good to see you!" She pulled away to look at her daughter and squinted her eyes slightly in critique. "You look different." She turned to her son. "Doesn't she look different, Bill?"

"Looks the same to me, mom." Bill answered with a shrug. He got up to hug his baby sister. "How'ya doin' Danes?"

"I'm doing great, BIll." Scully replied honestly as she watched Bill turn towards Mulder and give him a tentative handshake.

"Good. Good. That's good." He said blandly as he sat back down at the counter.

"Where's Tara?" Scully asked just to change the subject.

Bill was about to answer when the front door opened again. "Magpie, I'm home!" the man called from the front of the house.

"In the kitchen!" Maggie repeated again for the second time that day.

"Hey, Starbuck," Ahab said with tender surprise when he made his way back into the kitchen. "Hello, Mulder."

"Hi, dad."

"What brings you two here? It's not family dinner night, is it?"

"No, it's not..." Scully trailed off awkwardly. "Uhm, we," she pointed between her and Mulder with her free hand. "We have something to tell you guys."

"Oh?" Maggie asked with interest as she took a seat at the kitchen table, motioning for them to sit as well.

"As you guys know..." Scully started off slowly, her nerves getting the better of her. "I've been wearing a ring for a while..."

Listening to her daughter intently, Maggie began to understand where the conversation was heading. Taking a glance at Mulder's hand, her smile only grew wider. "Oh, come on, Dana. Out with it already."

"Wh- what?" Scully stuttered over her words, unsure of her mother's demeanor.

"Scully," Mulder looked over at her and squeezed her hand. "She's already figured us out."

She looked back to her mother and saw the wide grin on her face.

"Did you get married, Dana?" She spoke through her smile.

Bill's head snapped up and over to the table, anxiously awaiting the answer to maggie's question.

"Yes." Scully answered simply, pulling their hands away from her leg and onto the table. "We got married."

"Oh!" Maggie squealed, jumping out from her seat and rushing towards the couple.

"Congratulations you guys," Ahab mentioned from the his spot standing next to Bill. He leaned in to hug Scully as soon as his wife let her out of her grasp and moved over to hug her new son-in-law.

Maggie pulled away and clasped her hands together. "When? Where?"

"Uhm, two months ago in California. I didn't want to wait any longer so we just went down to the courthouse after we wrapped up a case out there." Scully wanted to make it clear to her brother, whom she was sure was not thrilled about their news, that eloping was her decision, that she wasn't forced into anything, that she wanted this. She looked over at Mulder and grinned. Squeezing his hand again, they made eye contact, silently deciding to wait a little bit before telling their other piece of news. They needed a few minutes to get used to the new fact first.

"Well," Ahab began, "Welcome to the family then, Fox." He stuck his hand out with politeness.

"Thank you, Sir," Mulder replied back.

"Call me Bill."

"Okay, Bill." He corrected himself.

Maggie turned to Scully. "Does Missy know?" She asked with curiosity.

"No," Scully shook her head in the negative and blushed slightly. "You guys are the first people we've told."

Maggie grinned. She felt special knowing that even though they hid it for two months, she and her husband were the first two people that they wanted to tell their news to. "Do you guys want any lunch?" She got up and moved into the kitchen. "I have lasagna in the oven. There's plenty for all of us."

"That sounds great, mom. Thank you." Sclly smiled at her. "Do you need any help getting it ready?"

"Well, that would be really nice, Dana."

Mulder's eyes widened slightly in panic as Scully got up to help her mom. That would leave him at least partially alone with her brother and father. They were just going to be standing fifteen feet away, but still… What if they could see it in his eyes? What if they figured out that he knocked their little girl up? Even though they were married before they had sex, it still scared him to think about all of the bad reactions that they might have.

Thankfully the smell of the lasagna didn't tip off any morning sickness for Scully. She still wasn't quite ready to tell them yet. After dinner, hopefully…

Sitting around the dinner table the various side dishes surrounding the main dish in the center, it things were going very well. That is, until Maggie got up to get the wine for everyone to have with their meal. When Maggie got around to pour Scully a glass, Scully placed her hand over the top of the stemware. "No, thank you." All eyes, save for Mulder's, snapped up to meet her meek expression.

"Are you alright, Dana?" Maggie wrinkled her forehead with a raise of her eyebrows. "You love wine..."

"I'm, uhm, I'm not really in the mood for it tonight." Her voice was small and her tone wavered. Scully knew she wasn't going to last all the way through dinner without blowing it. She needed to tell them now. Making covert eye contact with Mulder while her mom filled up his glass, they both understood that they needed to tell them now.

"Mom, Dad… Bill," she felt like she had to address her brother too. "We have something else to tell you..." Scully's voice was still shaky. She was nervous for their reactions considering the fact that they just told them that they got married in secret. Her mom would be happy for sure. She was fairly confident that her dad would handle it well. Bill, however, definitely would not take it well.

Maggie took her hesitation as a hint that it was bad news. "Dana, what is it?" she rushed.

"Nothing bad." Scully explained quickly, noting her mother's panicked face. "I promise." She offered her a faulty smile.

Maggie pulled her hand back quickly in anticipation, accidentally knocking Mulder's wine glass over in the process. "Oh, Lord!" She exclaimed as she watched the dark red liquid soak into Mulder's beige turtleneck.

Ahab rose up from the table calmly and began to walk out of the room. "I'll go get some towels..."

Maggie was now blotting Mulder's shirt with a napkin. "Fox, I'm so sorry!" She apologized in horror.

"It's okay Ma- mom, really." Mulder corrected himself as he chuckled.

"Bill," Maggie commanded, ignoring Mulder's consolation. "Can you go get Fox one of your dad's shirts to wear?"

"Yeah. Sure, mom."

Scully spoke up to her mom. "Really, mom. It's okay..."

"No, it's not. I just ruined his turtleneck! I need to get it in the wash right now so it doesn't stain!" She looked at Mulder. "Arms up, Fox. That turtleneck is worth more than Bill's life."

"What?" Mulder complied mindlessly, not thinking about what his mother-in-law would be privy to see once he took his shirt off. "Why is this turtleneck so important?" He watched as Maggie looked over at Scully and raised her eyebrow. Looking over at Scully for himself, he saw how beet red her blush had gotten.

Maggie smirked at them briefly before moving to take Fox's shirt off.

"Uhm," Scully cleared her throat, trying to get the rushing blood under control. "I may or may not have told mom and Missy about how fond I was of your turtlenecks."

"Really?" Now it was Mulder's turn to raise his eyebrows.

Maggie raised the turtleneck over his shoulders and head. "Oh, Fox!" She gasped in astonishment. "What happened? Were you in a fight?"

"Uh, no not exactly..." Mulder gave a wary side glance towards Scully. It was a little difficult to tell the difference in what were left over bruises from his fall and what were marks from Scully. "I got pushed down a flight of stairs a few days ago."

"Oh, my God. Fox!" Maggie covered her mouth with one of her hands. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just a few bone bruises..." He trailed off when he saw a look of realization dawn upon the aging woman's face.

Her face flushed as she connected the dots between the different appearance of the marks on his body- what were bone bruises and what were- inevitably- hickies.

She looked at Dana, who was also still blushing quite heavily and was avoiding eye contact.

"What'rr'you trying to kill him, Dana?" Maggie snickered with obvious embarrassment.

Scully was horrified. "Mom!"

"What?! You did it! I might be getting older, but I know a hickey when I see one..." She squinted at Mulder torso and neck. "Or twenty..."

"Mom!" Scully was exasperated. It was definitely a good thing that Bill and Ahab weren't in the room to see and hear this. Then, she'd be mortified.

"Hey. Hey." Maggie threw her hands up surrender. "You guys are married. Do what you want."

Scully buried her face in her hands and groaned loudly.

"I'll be back in a minute. I need to get this into the wash." Maggie began to walk out of the room but turned around last minute. "Dana, will you come with me please?"

Her head shot up. "What? Why?" Her mom was making her nervous and she didn't really want to leave a bruised, love-marked, and shirtless Mulder all alone with her over-protective father and brother.

With one stern look from Maggie, Scully got up and wordlessly followed her, sending an apologetic expression Mulder's way. Once they got into the laundry room, Maggie quietly loaded the shirt into the washing machine and then grabbed Scully by the shoulders. "Dana," she said softly. "How far along are you?"

Scully's eyes widened considerably. "Wh- what?"

"Oh, hush. Dana, I'm your mom. I know these things." When Scully's shocked expression didn't go away, she added with a shrug of her shoulders, "Plus, Missy called a few days ago and said she sensed it."

"Hah- How?"

"Well, no wine. When you brought Fox over for the first time you mentioned how badly you wanted a baby. You glow like you have a secret to hide. You haven't let go of your poor boys' hand all night. And to top it all off, there's what you did to him." She quirked one side of her mouth. "I've had four kids, you know. I know first time baby hormones when I see them."

Scully blushed bashfully and looked down at her feet with a small smile. "I don't know how long… I've only known for a week. I didn't tell Mulder until last night."

"Ah, Dana! I'm so happy for you!" Maggie leaned forward in excitement and wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter. Pulling away, her grin only widened. "I'm going to be a grandma!"

"Yeah," Scully chuckled lightly. "You're going to be a grandma again."

"C'mon, we should go make sure your man is still okay. We kinda left him out there shirtless to be found out by your father and brother." Maggie still couldn't wipe the smile off of her face.

Walking back out into the kitchen, Maggie and Scully encountered a blushing Mulder and a scowling Bill. Ahab was nowhere to be found.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked, switching into mother mode immediately upon seeing the weird expressions.

Bill glanced away from Mulder and looked at his mother. "I gave him his shirt, but not before I got a lovely view of him chest." He looked back down at Mulder with a grossed out grimace. "It's one thing to know my sister married this guy. It's another to see the effects of their marriage with my own eyes."

"Bill," Maggie replied soothingly. "He got injured on a case. Those are bone bruises from being pushed down a flight of stairs…" She laid a hand on his shoulder. There was no need to make him freaked out over the fact that he just saw… or _thought_ he saw… an enormous amount of hickies on his new brother in law.

"Oh." Bill's shoulders lost their tension quickly as his brain registered what Maggie was saying.

"I'm going to go get out some dessert."

"Wait! I'll come help you." Scully jumped at the chance to be alone with her mom again. She had made a decision and needed to make sure that her mother would get on board with it. Leaning over to Mulder, she kissed his cheek delicately, whispering in his ear, "I'll be back in a minute. Mom knows about the baby. But I want to wait to tell dad and Bill and everyone else."

Nodding wordlessly, Mulder watched with a small smile as his wife followed her mother into the kitchen.


	20. A Family Affair

"Hey, mom?" Scully tried to get her mother's attention as they entered into the kitchen together, away from the prying ears of a certain Bill and Bill Jr. Scully. "Can you keep it a secret?"

Maggie whirled around, surprise dotting her expression. "Why would you want to do that, Dana?"

Tucking a strand of hair nervously behind her ear, Scully explained, "I want to wait until I'm out of the first trimester, just in case I miscarry."

Realization dawned on her mother's face. "Because of your job.." Waiting until she saw her daughter nod her head before answering, Maggie added to her initial statement. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to work as long as I can… and then I'm going to stick to paperwork and so is Mulder. I don't want him out in the field without me. I need to know he's going to be safe too."

"Is it really worth it? ...to risk losing your child in order to keep working?"

"I know it's dangerous, mom; but we save people's lives. I'll be careful. I know my limits. And besides that Mulder will always have my back. When I decide to stop doing field work, he's going to as well."

"Okay."

"Mom," Scully stepped towards her mother, enveloping her in a warm hug. "Thank you."

"Of course, baby." Her mom squeezed her in return. "Wait." She pulled back to look at Scully. "Are you going to tell Miss? I mean, she already guessed it."

Scully sighed. "Yeah, I guess I'm going to have to so she knows to keep quiet about it."

"After you tell her, can we go shopping?"

"Mom," she laughed slightly under her breath. Deciding it was easier to cave in than fight an excited soon-to-be grandma, she said, "Yeah. Yeah. We can go shopping after I tell Missy." While her mother was rambling on about baby clothes and furniture, Scully let her mind wander a little bit. If she were being honest, she didn't cave because she didn't want to fight her mother. She gave in because she wanted the excitement and attention that she never thought that she would have. Even though her ability to conceive was restored when they traveled back, she still considered this pregnancy a miracle. Scully wanted all of the fluff and spoiling that usually came along with it, even though she would outwardly deny it.

She picked up something out of the oven. "Okay, come on let's get back out there before Bill Jr. stares a hole into poor Fox's skull." As she walking out towards the dining room, she threw a quiet request over her shoulder. "Dana, please tell Missy soon."

"Tell Melissa what?" Scully's brother's voice drifted into the conversation abruptly.

Scully stopped in her tracks and stuttered. "Uh, uh… that…. I need her help picking out paint..."

"Paint for what?"

Of course, leave it to Bill to be nosy. "We're repainting the… bathroom." Scully struggled to come up with an adequate answer to get him off her back.

"What for?"

"Because I want to, Bill. That's why" she huffed out with limited patience that was quickly running out. "Do I need a reason to want to change the color of my bathroom?"

Bill looked taken aback at his sister's sudden hostility. "No.. No, I guess you don't, Danes. Sorry, I asked," he grumbled as he slowly made his way over to where Maggie went with the dessert.

With cheeks flushed full of embarrassment, Scully turned towards Mulder and offered him a quirk of a smile.

His acknowledgment of her smile led him to reach over to her and take her hand in his. Pulling her hand towards his body, he pulled her down to sit on his lap.

Scully struggled to be let up for a second before realizing that his actions were telling her that he needed to feel her close for a second. Settling down, Scully felt his arms wrap around her waist and his nose brush against the back of her neck through the shocks of Titian hair.

"I'm so happy, Scully." He breathed quietly onto her skin. Her face broke out into a bashful happy smile, causing her to duck her head to avoid detection by any of her family members. "You're going to be a mom," he whispered in disbelief.

She rubbed her thumb over his palm as it rested protectively over her stomach. "And you're going to be a dad." She turned her head to whisper back at him.

A screech from the doorway interrupted their personal moment.  
Turning their heads, they were greeted with the sight of Missy standing shocked in the doorway. "Since when are you so into PDA, Dana. Jesus."

Melissa's comment brought a low chuckle out of Scully, her cheeks turning even more red than before. Deciding to break the ice with a joke first, Scully responded with sass. "Well, Miss… when the sex is that good, it'll bring out your inner exhibitionist."

The sound of Bill choking on his water could be heard from a room away.

"Oh really now?" Missy utilized her genetically instilled 'Scully eyebrow raise.'

"Well, that… and… we got married." Scully forwent further testing the water and chose to just jump right in.

"You what?!" Missy screamed again.

"We got married." Scully restated simply.

"When? Why wasn't I invited?"

"In California… a few months ago. We didn't want to wait."

"Well, then..." Missy sat down in a chair close to them and observed them closely. She watched as Scully turned sideways in Mulder's lap and rested her forehead against his. Her hand traced slow patterns through the hair on the back of his head, close to the nape of his neck. "Is there anything else you want to tell me," Missy asked with squinted eyes. Something was different and she was pretty sure she knew what it was.

"Oh," Scully feigned surprise. "There is something."

"I knew it!"

"Mom and I would like you to go shopping with us sometime this week or next week."

Missy would have answered her sister; however, she quickly spotted an odd cluster of discolored skin on Mulder's neck. Her eyes went wide. Jumping up with speed that might rival that of a cheetah in the Serengeti, Missy grabbed Scully by the wrist and yanked her up off of Mulder's lap.

"Hey!" Scully yelled in shock. "What the hell, Miss!"

Dragging her outside and shutting the back door behind them, Missy turned her sister to face her. "Dish."

"Dish what, Miss? Geez. Be a little more gentle next time." Scully brushed some stray hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"You got married."

Yes. I got married."

"Why are we going shopping?"

"I think you know why."

"I do?"

"Mom said you suspected."

Missy's eyes widened once again. "Oh my God!" Her gaze hovered back and forth between Scully's face and her stomach. "No!?" She didn't want to believe that it was true. Not this fast. Not from what her sister had told her about what had happened in their past life.

"Yes." Scully tried to fight off her grin, but she couldn't help it.

"Oh, my God!"

"Miss, you've already said that."

"Do I get to babysit?"

Scully giggled. "Yes, you can babysit."

"Is that why Mulder has a bunch of hickies?"

"Miss!"

"What? You don't think that I don't recognize dad's favorite tee-shirt. It doesn't cover up much of what you did to his neck."

"Well, it covers up most of it..."

"There's more than that?!"

"We had a night in."

"Jesus. You're going to kill the poor guy."

"No. I have some, too."

"Dana!"

"What?! We were celebrating. Just drop it, Missy."

Miss threw her hands in the air. "Fine." She cocked her head to the side. "Is that why you got married?"

"No, we got married and then pretty much immediately got pregnant. I didn't tell him until last night."

"Wow, he got you on the first try, huh?" Missy laughed.

"I'm not really sure, actually." Scully retucked some more hair behind her ear. "These past months… especially the first few weeks..."

"Nympho." Missy chided good-naturedly.

Scully scoffed. "Hey, we waited six almost seven years for this. Leave us alone."

"How many times a week? Five? Six?"

"No..." Scully bit her lip and looked away from Missy nervously.

"More?" Missy's eyebrows both raised of their own accord.

"Like… three..." Scully still wouldn't look at her.

"A week?" Missy was surprised, to say the least.

"A day." Scully corrected her quietly.

"You are so going to kill him."

"I'm going back inside."

"Fine. Go."

"Don't bring this back up. Only mom knows that I'm pregnant."

"Can I tell Bill that his least favorite person is banging his little sister to death."

"No!"

"Fine." Missy began to follow her sister inside the house. "You're no fun."

"I'm plenty of fun."

"Ew, Dana."

The only response was the hearty sound of a happy Scully laugh.


	21. Duane Barry I

Scully sat on the floor looking around at her surroundings. Within the small spare bedroom in her apartment, there sat boxes and newly put together baby furniture where there used to be a guest bed and nightstand. She looked back down at the ground next to her. Small piles of baby clothes surrounded her as she sat criss-cross-applesauce in front of the closet. Her mom, sister, and Mulder had spoiled her. They definitely didn't need all of this right away but she was glad that she had it, nonetheless. She finished folding the freshly washed onesies and put them away. Getting up with a content smile, she went looking for Mulder. It was a crisp Sunday night and he had gone out for a run about an hour ago. He should be back soon.

Donning her silk shorts pajama set, Scully made her way out to the kitchen and began to make dinner. They didn't go to the family dinner at her mom's house tonight, opting instead for a quiet night in.

She was about halfway through making their food when Mulder finally waltzed through the front door. He was still breathing heavily, thoroughly exhausted from his run. "Dinner's almost ready," she voiced to his heaving form as he walked through to the bathroom.

"Mm'kay." He puffed out. "...shower…"

Listening to him shut the bathroom door, she let out a happy sigh, her hand wandering down to rest on her still-flat abdomen as she stirred their soup. By the time he came back out, the table was set and Scully was just sitting down with her bowl. Mulder was just about to sit down with her when his cell phone rang. He was about to ignore it when Scully's started ringing too.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. Both of their phones ringing meant it was work. Moving over towards his phone, he picked it up with urgency. "Mulder," he greeted professionally, watching as Scully moved towards her own phone.

"Scully," she answered with contempt lacing her tone.

Their eyes locked from opposite sides of the room.

Mulder agreed to what was being said and told them he'd be there soon. He hung up the phone slowly, never breaking eye contact with Scully as she took in the information that was coming through on her line. Her eyes misted over as everything that was being said to her sunk in. As soon as she got off the phone, she let a small tear fall. "Mulder-"

"It has to be done, Scully. If I say no, all those innocent people are going to die."

"I know," she choked out, stumbling forward and meeting him in the middle of the room, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on tightly. "I just… I need you to stay safe. I need you to come home. We," she corrected. "...need you to come home."

"And I'll be home. I'll come home. I'll come home and then we'll both be safe, okay?" He pulled away and held her face in his palms, gently rubbing the tears away from her eyes. "Will you be okay?"

"No, I want to come with you."

Mulder's head started spinning. What was she saying? "No. No, Scully. You can't go in with me. Not with the baby."

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean to be there to feed the audio into you. I want to talk you through it like I did last time."

"Okay. Okay." Mulder conceded. He knew there was no changing her mind. Not when it concerned his safety. Not when it concerned a criminal that had changed the entire course of both of their lives the first time around. Not when it concerned Duane Barry.

§§§

The phone negotiation went just as it did before. Mulder traded himself for one of the hostages, unnerving Scully to her wit's end but she tried to keep calm, for Mulder. She couldn't help but to, though, that Mulder was going to get killed in there. Her stomach flipped with nervousness as a voice crackled through on the phone. They had people on the outside waiting for Duane to get in the right position inside.

"This is the countdown, Mulder," Scully's voice wavered into the headset. "They're comin' at you."

It was all a blur after that. Scully sat with her eyes glued to the screen, unable to tear them away in fear that something would happen and she wouldn't realize it. With shaking fingers, she nervously toyed with her necklace, sending a silent plea up to God to keep him safe.

The sound of a gunshot filled the air, violently drawing her out of her daze. There's shouting coming from all directions outside and Scully feels her heart drop in her chest. No. No. No. Please, God. No. Don't let it be him. Bursting out into the sunlight, Scully ran towards where a body was being moved into an ambulance. Taking a quick, panicked glance at the man in the stretcher, Scully drew out a huge sigh of relief. It wasn't Mulder.

"Scully!"

His voice drew her in the opposite direction, eyes seeking to find his through the crowd.

"Scully!" She heard again, closer this time. It was then that the crowd seemingly broke apart like the Red Sea, allowing Scully to finally see his face. If it had been any other incident, Scully would not have reacted the way that she did. If it had been in their first life, Scully would not have reacted the way that she did. If Scully hadn't have been pregnant, she might not have reacted the way that she did. But none of that mattered because she did react the way that she did. Bursting into a run, shoving aside the people lingering in her way, Scully rushed towards Mulder. The eyes of all of the other agents and the news crews were all drawn towards the small redhead agent, the agent who was now sprinting in her heels over towards the hero of the day.

Her arms wound quickly around his neck, feet lifting off of the ground. Mulder wrapped his arms around her waist, not caring in the slightest what other people thought of them, not when she was holding him this tight. With her head tucked into the side of his neck, he felt a wet tear roll down onto his skin. Cradling the back of her head with his palm, Mulder kissed her hair. "Sh, it's okay. It's okay." He tried to soothe her with a whisper.

"I'm sorry." She breathed deeply. "I can't seem to control my feelings anymore."

Mulder chuckled into her hair. "S'okay. It's for a good reason."

"God, I-"

"I know. I know." Mulder ran his hand over her hair repeatedly. "But it's okay. It's over now. I'm here. We'll be okay."

She loosened her hold on his neck and he let her slide back down to the ground slowly, making sure to keep his hands in appropriate, non-intimate places because of the other agents who had their eyes glued to their situation. Looking around as Scully gathered herself with her face stuck in his jacket.

"Scully, I hate to tell you this… but everyone here pretty much looks like they know. Words going to spread around by Monday."

"Don't care," she sniffled, pulling away gently but firmly from his body. "Let's go home, Mulder."

Mulder followed her retreating steps, ignoring the piercing gazes of their fellow coworkers. The rumor mill was going to blow up for sure. Hopefully, Skinner would brush them off like he normally did in the past and not look into it. If he looked into it, he'd find their marriage certificate. It wasn't that they weren't proud of their marriage, but rather that the FBI would probably want to split them as partners.

Getting into the car, Mulder slid into the driver's seat where Scully was already in the passenger seat waiting for him. He navigated through the throngs of government and police personnel and slowly pulled out onto the road, not surprised in the least when Scully suddenly reached out to grab his hand.

He intertwined their fingers together as best as he could and brought it up so he could kiss the back of her hand. Glancing over at her small form as she pulled their joined hands into her lap, he smiled to see that she was looking out the window with her free hand subconsciously protecting her lower stomach.

A way into their drive, Scully spoke up solemnly and broke their comfortable silence, bringing to light what was nagging at the back of both of their minds. "He's going to get out of the hospital."

"I know." Mulder sighed. "We'll be ready."

They sunk back into a steady silence, wondering how the next few days were going to play out, for better or for worse.


	22. Duane Barry II: Aftermath

Checking the locks on the doors for the fifteenth time that night, Mulder moved on to check all of the windows. He squinted at the clock as he made his way back into the bedroom. 2:04 AM. It had been a restless evening for the both of them but what matters is that they are together this time. Walking back into the bedroom, he found Scully sitting up in the middle of the bed, pillows under her back, socked feet laying on top of the covers. With toes wiggling, Scully invited him in.

"Lay with me?"

Mulder nodded wordlessly, setting his gun down on the nightstand next to the transmitter that Duane Barry would be after soon.

Scully sat up away from the headboard, silently telling him where she wanted him.

He moved to sit behind her, legs coming down on the outsides of both of her hips. Mulder would his arms around her waist as she cuddled into his chest, her arms coming up to rest on top of his. With a kiss to the side of her forehead, Mulder spoke low into her ear. "No matter what happens in this life, Scully… this is what I want. Always." He moved a hand to rest on her lower abdomen. "No matter what happens all I want is you. You and our kids."

"Oh, Mulder," Scully choked out softly. She was about to answer him back when a shadow was cast through their window as it moved across the pane. "Mulder," Scully said, now fully alert. "Mulder get your gun." She rolled off to the side of him and grabbed her own gun off of her nightstand.

A clap of thunder roared through their apartment.

Mulder got up and grabbed his gun, rushing towards the bedroom door in wait.

Thirty painstakingly long seconds later, the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Moving quickly down the hallway, Mulder scanned the living room quickly. Duane was nowhere to be found. "Scully, I don't see hi-" The wind was knocked out of him, his body slamming down towards the ground. His brain went into overdrive. He couldn't see anything past Duane's face in front of him. He had no idea where Scully was. The only things that mattered were that Duane didn't get ahold of his gun and that he didn't lay a single finger on Scully.

"Where's the girl?!" Duane growled through the darkness. In the background, the rain pelted the floor inside where the window was now broken.

Wedging his feet in between Duane's body and his own, Mulder managed to kick the deranged man backward. He watched as Duane was flung in the opposite direction. Getting quickly up on his feet, Mulder pointed his gun directly at Duane, waiting for another attack. Duane gave a yell as he regained his balance and charged after Mulder.

Mulder blinked once and put his finger on the trigger. Mulder blinked twice heard a gunshot.

Duane's body slumped to the floor in a heap with a bullet right between the eyes.

Looking down at his hands, Mulder slowly realized through all of the adrenaline that the bullet hadn't come from his gun. He glanced to behind him only to see Scully standing at the end of the hallway, dressed in nothing but a silk camisole and booty shorts, a literal smoking gun in her hand. She slowly lowered it down to the ground, blowing a chunk of pesky red curls out of her face with a huff of breath out of the side of her mouth. Her eyes drifted over and met Mulder's. Knowing that there was no way Duane could survive the shot, Mulder moved over towards Scully with practiced precision. He took the gun out of her hand delicately, taking note of how heavy her breathing was, She was probably in shock, both from the current situation and what little memories she had from the first time. He turned the safety on and set it down on the table. Her bottom lip jutted out, a clear-cut signal that she was attempting to hold herself together.

"Shh," he soothed her, effortlessly pulling her to him and engulfing her in his embrace.

Scully collapsed into him, small sobs wracking her body.

Putting one arm under her knees, he picked her up carefully and sat down at one of the chairs in the kitchen.

She curled herself up in his lap immediately, digging her fists into his shirt and fully giving into all of the stress and trauma that Duane Barry had caused them in both this life and the last. She cried for Mulder. She cried for herself. She cried for Melissa. She cried for Emily. She cried for the cancer that almost took her life. She cried for the infertility her abduction caused her. And most of all, she cried for their chance to redo it all, to not live under those hefty burdens. Putting a hand on her belly, she knew she had to calm down. For the baby. She couldn't let herself hyperventilate. From the sounds that her brain was registering apart from her slowing, heavy breaths and what was left over from her sobs, she could faintly hear Mulder calling in the incident, with one hand holding the phone, the other running down her spine, resting on her hip and cradling her body close to his own.

"Scully?"

She hummed noncommittally in response.

"We need a story."

"Story?" She questioned faintly, finally gainly back full control over her voice and her breathing.

"As to why I'm here, in the apartment. When the agents get here they're going to ask questions."

"The paramedics are going to need to know that I'm pregnant, too."  
His breath came out in a huff. "What are we going to say?"

"You distract the agents while I talk to the medical people. Tell them that I asked you to come over because I was worried about you after what happened earlier."

"Okay."

"Okay." She settled further into his chest.

"Do you-"

"No." Scully cut him off firmly. "It's over now. Everything's fine. I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get this over with and fall asleep on you."

"What about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow we'll wake up like every other day, except we get to look forward to the sonogram."

His reply was a gently hand laying on top of her own over her stomach.

§§§

The ordeal lasted two hours. Government, local police, and medical personnel filtered in endless streams in and out of their apartment. Mulder made sure that they interviewed Scully first, that way she could sleep a little bit before they had to get back up and go to work.  
Mulder stayed up and dealt with all of the people and the questions after they were done talking to Scully. He had to lie about why he was at the apartment. Thankfully, the officers bought it. Skinner looked a little more apprehensive. By the time everyone filled out their reports and left, it was already eight A.M. The cleanup crew would be there within the next hour or two to scrub the floor where Duane had gone down.

About an hour later, Mulder finally went in to wake up Scully. Approaching the bed, Mulder sat down on the edge and smiled at his wife. She had showered before falling back asleep, her curling red locks dampening the shirt that she was wearing. She had opted to wear his tee shirt instead of another set of her own pajamas. She didn't want to sleep without him, so sleeping with his scent was her second option. She had a pillow clutched to her chest as she laid on her right side. "Hey, honey," Mulder whispered, the endearment just slipping off of his tongue unnoticed. "It's time to get up." He brushed some of the hair away from her face as she groaned in protest to his wake-up call.

"Time 's it?" She mumbled, rolling further into her pillow.

"Time to get up and get ready to go see the baby." He said soothingly.

Scully sat bolt upright. "We're late for work!"

Mulder laughed at her sleepy look, frizzy hair sticking up everywhere, his shirt sliding off of one of her shoulders. The baby hormones have been making her hair a lot frizzier and curlier than normal. "Skinner gave us the day off. Said he didn't need either of us being zombies in the office."

"Oh." She visibly calmed down. After a minute or two of rubbing her eyes, she crawled out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

Mulder breathed out a sigh of relief. He was very glad that the whole ordeal was over now.


	23. Surprise

The doctor's office was an unnerving place for Mulder to be. Scully was quite comfortable, her background in medicine meaning that she found some comfort and familiarity in a doctor's office. The same could not be said for Mulder. The bright white walls made him nervous. The restless patients waiting to be called back to their appointment made him feel claustrophobic. He put his head in his hands as he leaned over onto his knees in his chair, leg shaking erratically.

Noticing his discomfort, Scully reached over from her seat next to him and grabbed one of his hands away from his face, intertwining their fingers loosely. "Breathe, Mulder. The appointment will be fine."

"I know. I'm excited." He shook his head in agreement. "I just hate hospitals and doctor's offices."

She squeezed his hand in recognition.

"Dana Mulder?" A nurse called from one of the doorways.

The smile that lit up Mulder's face as soon as they heard those two words made Scully melt inside.

"What?" He asked with a bashful shrug when he noticed her smirking at him. "I like hearing your name with mine."

"Me too." She didn't relinquish her grip on his hand as they followed the nurse back.

"But you'll always be my Scully."

The nurse went ahead and took Scully's blood and was off to deliver it to the lab for processing. The doctor came in about fifteen minutes later, introducing herself to Mulder as Dr. Pierce, Scully's gynecologist. "How are you, Dana?" the petite blonde woman asked.

"I'm doing pretty well. How about you?" Scully smiled with hidden joy. The presence of her doctor finally kicked in the adrenaline and excitement for seeing their baby. It was finally starting to seem real. They were going to see their baby. Hear its heartbeat.

The doctor began to set up the ultrasound machine. "Dana, why don't you change into this gown for me..." The doctor handed scully a light blue baggy gown.

Scully changed quickly, trying not to make eye contact with Mulder as she did so. She knew he was enjoying every second of this, much to her embarrassment. Sitting down as quickly as she could in the special chair, she tentatively placed her feet in the stirrups. She had never had anyone come with her to an OBGYN appointment before.

"Alright, Dana. This is going to be a little cold." She squeezed a large amount of gel from a tube onto Scully's stomach.

Scully hissed quietly through her teeth, reaching blindly for Mulder's hand as the doctor laid the wand onto her stomach and began to look for the baby.

The doctor asked Scully the basic questions about her symptoms, the home test that she took, and when her last period was as she moved the wand around Scully's lower abdomen. Suddenly, a rapid heartbeat started racing along with Scully's.

Mulder let out a small gasp and tightened his hold on Scully's hand. Leaning over and placing a kiss to her forehead, he delicately dragged his free hand through her hair.

Turning her her to look at him, Scully's revealed the pure joy that she was feeling. "That's ours, Mulder." She choked out, a small tear sneaking away from her and leaking out of one eye. "That's our baby. We made a baby."

He nodded in vigorous excitement back at her. "That's our baby, Scully."

Dr. Pierce smiled at the scene and pressed a button that froze the screen for them. "Alright so your baby is right-" she pointed at a small shape on the screen. "-here."

"Oh, my God." Scully raised a hand to cover her mouth in awe. Everything seemed so much more real now.

"Would you like to know how far along you are?"

"Yes, please." Mulder replied for his wife. She looked too mesmerized to speak.

"Based on your last period, Dana… and the size of your little bean here..." She pressed a few buttons on the machine to measure the baby. "You're ten weeks in."

"Ten…" Scully repeated back, still in her state of awe.

"Everything's looks good here. So I'm going to ask you to make an appointment with Cheryl out front for two weeks from now. And then also, if you can, make an appointment for your 18 week, too."

"When can we find out the sex?"

Scully chuckled at Mulder's excited impatience.

"At the 18 week if that's what you guys want."

Scully cleared her throat, finally switching back into her more normal mode. "Uhm, when would you say my due date is?"

"April 16th."

"Are you sure?" Scully's face blanched.

"Well, that's just your due date, Dana. You could go into labor earlier or later than that, too. But based on your last period and the size of the baby. You should be due on April 16th."

Scully looked over and made wary eye contact with Mulder. He couldn't tell whether she was excited or scared or both, but he knew better than to ask her in the presence of another person. She'd tell him when she was ready.

The doctor wrapped up their appointment and gave them several printed copies of the ultrasound picture on their way out.

"Are you okay?" Mulder asked as they got into the car, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Much to his surprise, however, Scully answered honestly and not with an irritated 'I'm fine.'

"April 16th." Scully mumbled quietly as she turned to look at him.

"What about it?"

He saw terror flash through her eyes briefly aas she made eye contact with him. Keeping her low tone, she only uttered one word.

"Emily."

Mulder screeched on the brakes. "What?!"

"Emily." She said it louder this time. Her eyes were on the road, watching as he pulled the car over and put the emergency brake on.

"What are you saying?"

"Emily was born on April 9th, of next year. That's one week before my due date."

"You think it's Emily?"

"Yes… No… I don't know, Mulder." Scully sighed and laid both of her hands on her stomach. "It's probably just a coincidence."

"What if it's not?" Mulder turned the car off and looked towards Scully. "This is our second chance. In our other life you wanted to be a mother to Emily but that was taken away from you. What if…." Mulder let out a breath. "What if this is your chance… to have Emily… to raise her and love her. What if it is Emily?"

"Mulder, it's not logical, though. If our baby turns out to be Emily… then that means that you were her paternal DNA in our old life. How would that have happened?"

"Scully." He chuckled mirthlessly. "What about our situation is logical? We literally died and got sent back in time. I think it's entirely possible that this baby is Emily. As for the DNA, it wouldn't surprise me if I had been her paternal DNA."

"So how will we know if it's her then?"

"Well, I guess a good indication would be if it's a girl. And then I guess we won't know for sure until you go into labor. If you have the baby on the 9th… then maybe it's Emily."

Scully sputtered at the possibility. "But do we name her Emily? Do we name her something else because the Emily we know is in the past and doesn't exist?"

"That's completely up to you, Scully/" He reached for her hand again. "I mean… you're right… Emily doesn't exist in this life. We could honor her memory by not naming the baby after her. But what if she grows up and looks exactly like Emily? Acts like Emily? Then what? She'll be an exact copy of Emily only without the name."

"So if the baby is a girl and is born on the 9th… then we name her Emily?"

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Scully," he laughed again. "That sounds like a good plan. It's a chance happening that we're deciding on. If in fact by some miracle it does happen, then we'll know. We'll know it's her and you will finally get your chance to raise her like you had wanted to last time."

Draggin his hand to her abdomen, Scully leaned over and kissed his cheek with affection. "I love you."

"I love you, too honey."

"Let's go home, Mulder. I want to fall asleep on you."

Squeezing her hand, Mulder pulled back onto the road and they continued on their way home.


	24. Pillow Talk

She remembered it when she woke up the next morning. "Shit!" Scully exclaimed, lifting her head quickly up off of Mulder's chest.

"Hmm?" He responded sleepily, her voice startling him from his sleep.

Scully began to sit up, desperately trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. "I forgot to tell Ellen," she whined groggily. "She's gonna kill me."

"Forgot to tell her what?" Mulder rolled over, still not having opened his eyes yet, and blindly groped around for her waist. He pulled her body back closer to him and buried his face into the back of her left hip.

She tried half-heartedly to push him away from her bottom. "I gotta go tell her."

"Scully," he groaned, looking at the clock on his nightstand. "It's 6 am. You woke up early. It's Saturday." Mulder tugged at her lightly. "Lay back down. You tired me out last night."

She scoffed in response, flashes of their activities last night plaguing her half-awake memory. "I did not."

"Did so. Now c'mon… back to bed." His voice was muffled by her skin, his nose having rutted its voice underneath her tee-shirt. "Scully?" his voice sounded again somewhere from behind her.

"What?"

"Where'd your pants go?"

She snickered. "I got hot last night."

"But you put clothes on because you were cold." He lifted his head out from under the shirt to look her in the eye.

"Hormones." She shrugged. "Baby must'ah decided it didn't like it."

"Were you serious yesterday?" Mulder moved over in order to make space for her to lie down next to him. He patted the spot open on his right side— which she promptly ignored, instead settling for hunkering down on the open expanse of his chest. "Why do you like laying like this so much? Isn't is uncomfortable?"

Scully shifted her weight until she was comfortable, her legs coming down around his hips, head tucked underneath his chin. "This is probably going to sound pathetic… but in our old life, I used to sleep with a body pillow just like this and pretend that it was you instead. Now I can enjoy the real thing. I like the feeling of laying completely on you, feeling your arms around my waist and your heartbeat under my ear, your skin against mine."

"Scully," Mulder murmured, astounded that she was still being so open with him after all of the years he spent partially locked out of her mind. He turned his head so he could place a kiss on her forehead. "You never told me."

"Yeah, well," she chuckled mirthlessly into his neck. "Not exactly my proudest moment. I was too busy trying to fool everyone into thinking that I didn't need anyone— that I didn't need you." Nuzzling herself further into the place where neck met collarbone, she quietly continued. "You know your light grey button down work shirt that you lost a while back?"

"Yeah, I lost that after we went to Florida and got stuck in the forest." He paused, waiting for her to continue.

She was too distracted by the soothing effect that his thumb had on her lower spine.

"What about it?" He prodded her.

"You didn't lose it. I stole it."

A smile snuck its way onto his face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "For a while, I wore it to bed but eventually it wasn't enough, because I could only smell you when I moved. So then I put it on top of the body pillow before I went to sleep and that's how I survived not being around you like I wanted to."

Mulder squeezed his arms around her. "I had no idea, Scully. Sometimes I wasn't even sure you thought of me as your best friend."

"I was just trying to protect myself, I guess." She made an excuse. "I didn't want to let you in any more than I had to. I didn't want you to figure out how much I needed you. And I also wanted to hurt as little as possible if something ever separated us."

"Oh, Scully… if only I knew. I would have tried to make a move so much sooner." He shook his head against her hair.

She snickered again. "Yeah, it only took us seven years, death, and then time travel to get us together, huh?"

"You're funny this morning."

"I'm always funny, Mulder."

He stayed silent until he felt a sharp pinch in his side."Ouch! What was that for?"

"Shut up, Mulder."

"I didn't say anything!"

"No, but you were thinking it." She giggled. Lifting her head back off of him, she sat up with a coy smirk.

Noticing her look of mischief, Mulder raised his eyebrows at her. "Scully, what are you doing?"

Smirk only quirking higher, she tangled her hands with his and slowly slid them up until they rested against his head, the movement causing her body to slide downward at the same time.

Mulder quickly caught up with her train of thought, considering that his morning-hard-on was now conveniently situated in between her legs. He was still naked from the night before. "Scully," he breathed with a strained reverence.

Leaning her head so her lips were next to his ear, Scully spoke lowly, "Up for a fourth round, baby?"

Mulder groaned at her words and the small bite that she placed on his earlobe after she was done speaking. He was tempted to tease her but the way that her breasts were resting against his chest through her shirt was driving him crazy. He answered her question with a well-timed thrust of his hips.

The hum that she let out in response provided him with the opportunity to flip her around so he was on top. A huge grin stole its way onto his face when he heard Scully's squeal of surprise. Instantly finding his way to her collarbone, Mulder began to root around for the different points on her neck that drove her wild. If the noises she was now making were anything to go by, then his memory was serving him well. Since they got married, he has devoted himself to exploring and mapping every inch of her body. And now he was going to get to keep mapping as he watched her body change and expand with the baby. He fought off another grin as he made his way from sucking on her pulse point to move up to her ear. _'Give her a taste of her own medicine,'_ he thought inwardly.

"Mulder, if you give me another hickie- I swear," she grunted.

He chuckled darkly. "Too late," Mulder mumbled into her chin.

"Oh, Mulder," Scully sighed, trailing her nails against the nape of her neck, running through his hair. "That makes like three now after last night."

"Baby, I thought you hated pet names like that." He licked along the outer shell of her ear, causing her to shudder.

"I- I like it when you call me them- ohhhhh" Scully's whisper turned into a wanton moan, her eyes rolling back into her head as Mulder's tongue dipped further into her ear. "Oh, God!" Her hands gripped hard onto the roots of his hair. He began to retract his tongue so he could nibble on her earlobe like she had done to him."Oh, God," Scully repeated. "No, don't stop."

He quickly went back to what he was doing before, his reward being the continuously increasing pitch of her moans and the urgent rocking of her hips pushing against his skin. The next thing he knew, she was trembling beneath him, eyes screwed tightly shut. Pulling away and looking down at her with extreme interest, he waited until she relaxed against the sheets and reopened her eyes. "Did you just…?" Mulder's answer was a blush and a lip bite as she avoided eye contact with him. He couldn't contain the small giggle that erupted from him. "Scully, we haven't even done anything yet!"

"Shut up," Scully mumbled back at him.

"Uh huh, Scully. You just had an orgasm just from me sticking my tongue in your ear!"

"Hormones?" She offered meekly. "Is it really that surprising? I had never had an easy time coming until I met you. First the fantasies and then actually getting to have the real you."

"I like these baby hormones," Mulder stated proudly, her compliment going straight his head… and other places. He moved to begin his descent down her body.

"Me too." Scully pushed his head to where she wanted him.

§§§

 _Ring. Ring. Ring._

"Hello?" Ellen moved to pick up her phone.

"El? It's me."

"Hey, Day!" Ellen was beyond excited to hear her friend's voice on the line. "What's up?"

"Remember those Ellen-esque invasive questions you asked me about Mulder?" Scully could practically hear Ellen's grin through the phone.

Ellen rushed out, "I'll be at your house in an hour." The line went dead immediately.

Ellen's excited anticipation must have been contagious because now Scully was left looking like the Cheshire cat. She moved through the apartment, quickly cleaning up scattered clothes that had been left over from her and Mulder's rather excited entry yesterday. After she had tidied up some, she went to find Mulder in the kitchen. He was standing at the stove in his boxers, making what looked to be eggs and bacon. The realization that he did not hear enter the room, she took the chance that it gave her to sneak up on him.

Mulder was alerted to her presence behind him when he felt her hands flutter against his waist.

"Hey, _baby_ ," Scully emphasized the term of endearment because of their conversation earlier... that and- not that she'd tell him- she truly did enjoy hearing him call her that and also calling him it in return.

"Hmm?" He was enjoying the feeling of her small form pressed up against his back.

She wound her arms around his torso. "You gotta get out of here for a while unless you want to sit here while Ellen tries to grill me about our sex life." Scully pressed a kiss against his spine.

Mulder sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I definitely don't want to be here for that." He chuckled lightly. "When is she coming?" He laid his free arm over hers on his stomach.

"She said in an hour." Scully pressed her cheek against his back, reveling in his warmth. They stood like that for a while, until the food was done cooking. As soon as Scully heard him turn off the burners, she tugged him backward and turned him around so she could give him a proper hug. "Mulder?"

He didn't answer her, choosing instead to acknowledge her by fully enclosing her in his arms.

"I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

"Hmmm," she hummed contently. "I like that one too." Kissing his chest, Scully continued to speak. "Thank you, Mulder."

For what?" Mulder rubbed his hands up and down her back in a soothing motion.

"For loving me. For giving me a husband and a baby. For giving me the life I had always wanted but never thought I could have."

"Scully..." he breathed.

"No, no, no. I know. I just… wanted to say it. Okay," she pushed away from him, rising up on her tiptoes to give him a sweet kiss. "Eat your breakfast and then scram." Shoving off of his chest, she moved towards the back of the apartment. "I need to shower. I smell like sex and sweat."


	25. Telling Ellen

A knock on the front door sounded through the Georgetown apartment. Tentatively making her way towards the door, there was nothing that could have prepared Scully for the tornado of excitement waiting on the other side. As soon as the door was cracked open, Ellen all but barged through in a flurry. Scully had to move quickly out of the way in order to not get hit by the door, the knowledge of the new life inside her made her overly cautious with her body.

Ellen wandered over to the kitchen, quickly identifying a bottle of wine that had already been opened, and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet. Without glancing at Scully, she went and sat herself down on the couch. Patting the seat next to her, Ellen silently begged her friend to join her.

Sitting down gingerly, Scully waited for Ellen's invasive verbal attack. To her surprise, Ellen stayed quiet, pouring herself a generous glass of wine and then moving to do the same for her friend. Scully put her hand out over the top of the second glass. "No thanks," she offered no other information.

Ellen stared her down with a slight squint to her gaze for what seemed like years. Apparently deciding to avoid that particular instance, for now, Ellen moved to sit sideways on the couch so she could face Scully and took a big sip of her wine. "When did you get married?"

"Uhm, about two months ago." Scully was starting to realize just how awkward this conversation was going to feel for her since she couldn't drink to take the edge off.

"How did he ask you?"

Scully pulled her feet up under her and sat against the arm of the couch. She rested her chin on her knees. "He slipped a ring on my finger while I was asleep one night and left me a note saying that he knew it didn't count as a real proposal, even though we had decided that we wanted to get married months before that. He had hoped that I would wear it while we were apart- oh and that was because of work we couldn't see each other for a few months outside of the job- and," Scully was lost deep in thought, rambling as thoughts came to her mind. "And he told me he loved me and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with me."

Ellen squealed. Kicking her feet up and down in small, fast movements. "So when's the wedding? You said you could answer my questions so that means you guys had sex!"

"We, uh," Scully wasn't sure how Ellen was going to take it. "... got married in secret in California while we were on a case… after it was safe for us to be together again. "

With a dramatic gasp, Ellen practically yelled, "Scandal!" Tucking her legs under her body, she continued, "The sexual tension too much for ya?! Oh, God! How was the first night?!"

"El," Scully giggled, enjoying every second of their talk. It felt like such a blessing to have Ellen and Melissa back, being able to talk to them and feel like a girl again. "One question at a time."

"Fine. Fine. Answer the first one first. And," she drew out the word. "Then tell me about the sex."

"Uhm, it was my idea. I told him to drive to LA after we got the call saying that no one was after us anymore. He was confused so I told him why we were going to LA. Mulder insisted that I get a dress so we stopped somewhere and I picked one out."

"Oh, my God! Do you still have it? Can I see it?"

"Later, El. There are more important things that I have to tell you."

Ellen raised her eyebrows at Scully but let her continue anyway.

"We went and got married and then he took me to this fancy hotel- which is a first, by the way. And, uh," Scully stumbled. She wasn't used to girl talk anymore. She was used to hiding the details of her personal life from anyone and everyone. "I got impatient and started running into the hotel. Mulder chased me down and pulled me into the elevator mid-sprint... He pinned me up against the wall where my feet couldn't touch, so I had to wrap my legs around him. I wasn't complaining about it, I like it when he does that. He's so strong." Scully gushed with a tint to her

cheeks.

"Oh, God…" Ellen melted into the corner of the couch, delicately swirling her wine around in her glass as she stared off into the ceiling, no doubt envisioning the scenario herself.

Scully scratched the back of her head, struggling to get out the increasingly more intimate details. "It got pretty heated while we rode up to our room… we were basically dry humping intensely," she corrected herself. "And then I guess we hadn't heard the elevator doors open…

until we heard someone clear their throat to get our attention..."

"Oh, no!"

"Turns out the elevator hadn't been empty when we got in and we just didn't notice." Scully attempted to hide her blush. "There were two teenage girls in there. We were basically having sex with our clothes on in front of two teenage girls. God," she tucked her face behind her hands. "I'm so embarrassed about that."

Ellen snorted. "No, you're not."

Scully shot Ellen a faux glare. "Anyway… Flash forward through that awkward encounter and he was chasing me down the hallway to our room again."

"You guys were quite the eager there… weren't cha?"

"It gets worse," Scully grinned. "I locked myself in the bathroom and made him wait a long time while I put on this burgundy lingerie set. It was the whole ensemble- garters and all. I put an ivory slip on over it so he'd be surprised." She dropped her head against the back of the couch, avoiding any and all eye contact. "And Jesus, he was so excited, so passionate. I felt like prey and I loved every second of it."

"Agh! I'm so happy for you!" She contemplated this new information for a few seconds. "So, now back to my original question I had asked you at by house a while ago... what kind of lover is her?"

"What were my choices again?"

"I believe my phrases were: 'one and done,' 'quickie,' and 'as long as you need.'"

"He's definitely not the first two. He would more fit in last one, but not entirely."

"How do you mean?"

"He makes sure I'm more than just satisfied before he lets himself go too unless I tell him otherwise."

"No?!"

Scully grinned. "Yep."

"Your husband is a myth."

"I can guarantee you, he is not." She chuckled.

"What's your record then?"

"You mean like… how many times in one day?"

"Yes!" Ellen practically hissed.

"For me or him?"

"Both."

Scully took a few minutes to think. "For him, it's seven. And for me… I'm pretty sure it's thirteen… but I'm also pretty sure that's the time I knocked out for a little bit. It was… intense."

Ellen practically jumped out of her chair. "Holy fucking shit, Dana!"

Scully tugged on Ellen's shirt with a smile. "El, sit back down," she laughed.

"Sit back down? Sit back down?!" Ellen exclaimed with bewilderment. "You get more sex in a day than I have gotten total since Trevor's dad and I split up!"

"You're the one who asked!"

"I didn't think your answer would be more than like four!"

"El, come on!" Scully pleaded.

"Fine." Ellen sat back down and gathered her thoughts. "How big is he?"

"Ellen!"

"What?! I'm curious! Especially after what you just told me. I mean, Jesus, Dana."

"Ellen, I am not telling you that!"

"Dana, please!" Ellen whined. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

She huffed out an exasperated sigh. Scully might as well give up now. After all, she was the one who invited Ellen over here to answer questions, no matter how lewd they were turning out to

be. "Well, the closest object I can compare him to would probably by my Sig Sauer P320..."

"English, Dana. I don't speak guns."

"2 inches-"

"Only two?! What the hell, Dana?!"

"-wide..." Scully finished her sentence that Ellen had cut off.

Ellen relaxed considerably. "Oh, okay. That's much better. It's good. It's very good." She noticed the heavy tomato color that splashed across her friend's chest. "What about the other measurement, Dana?" She prodded.

"Well, he's uh… more than average… I would guess..."

"Oh, bullshit." Ellen set down her wine glass. "I know you, Dana. You measured that thing as soon as you had the chance."

"Ugh, God," Scully growled. "I hate that you know me so well."

"He's about four-"

"That is not above average!"

"Ellen, shut up! Let me finish!"

Ellen picked her drink back up and waved her friend to continue.

"As I was saying," Scully shot a sideways glare at Ellen. "It's about four when he's flaccid."

"Can I guess?"

"Why not. Go ahead."

"Six and a half when he's not."

Scully grinned evilly. "Eight."

"Fucking hell! Dana! How does he even fit? You're tiny as fuck!"

"Alcohol makes you raunchy. I gotta remember that." Scully said, more to herself than to Ellen.

"No wonder you let him fuck you all day long…"

"Is that all?" Scully asked with slight impatience.

"Yeah, for now, I guess." Ellen sighed, relaxing back against the couch.

"I have something else to tell you, El..."

Ellen's ears perked up at Scully's strained, almost nervous sounding comment. "What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"No!" Ellen exclaimed in disbelief.

"Ten weeks," Scully added with a content smile.

Her friend reached over to give her a tight hug. "Oh, Dana I'm so happy for you!"

Their embrace was interrupted by a key sliding into the lock on the front door. The door opened and closed with a quick speed that immediately made Scully nervous. Pulling away, she got up and walked over to the entryway. "What's wrong?" She asked quietly, not wanting to alert Ellen.

"Got a call from Reggie," Mulder huffed as he was bent over, trying to tug his tennis shoe off of his foot. Once he was free from his shoes, he padded over towards her and put his hands on

her shoulders. "I don't know how to fix this one, Scully."

"What one? Which case did he call about?"

"Armed robbery. This has got to be the John Barnett case."

Scully pinched the bridge of her nose in between her fingers. Surely, if he was worried about it, then she should be too. "Mulder, I don't think I remember that one."

"I put him away a long time ago. It was my first case with the VCU. He was supposed to have died in prison a few years back."

"So, what? He's still alive and he escaped prison?"

"Not only that, but he's targeting me. This case is how Reggie died. He died because he was affiliated with me. I need to make sure that you're safe and that he doesn't know we're married. Or that you're pregnant. Oh, God, I hope he doesn't know that."

"But, Mulder… What about you?" Scully took a step back and watched as Mulder retreated into the living room to say hi to Ellen.

"This is my chance to save his life, Scully."

She had to bite tongue and follow him into the living room. She'd talk to him more after Ellen left.

"Hi, Ellen! It's nice to see you again."

"Hey, there." She smirked, not sensing the urgency of his sudden presence. "Congrats."

"What? Oh. Thanks." Mulder recovered from his fumble quickly. His mind was preoccupied.

"Yeah, congrats on knocking my best friend up. Now Trevor will have an honorary cousin to play with."

Mulder threw a small smile her way.

"Hey, El?" Scully spoke up from beside Mulder. "I hate to do this, but Mulder and I just got assigned a case and we have to go down to the crime scene."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you guys soon then?" Ellen moved to hug both Mulder and Scully.

"Yeah, soon, El. I'll call you after we wrap the case up. Maybe we can take Trent out to the Air and Space Museum or something." Scully walked her friend to the door and said her goodbyes.

Walking back into the living room, Scully approached Mulder, who was pacing the length of the couch. "Okay, Mulder. Fill me in."

A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry about the long periods between updates. I had a review that asked me how long this story was going to be and to tell the truth, I'm not quite sure. So far, I've just been going with the flow and writing what I feel led to. After the pregnancy progresses a bit, I will be spacing out the time of the storyline between chapters instead of writing each chapter as a direct continuation of the one before it. I want to get through to season seven of the show in this AU, but without making it a hundred bazillion chapters long. I will most likely eventually turn the chapters into snapshots of their life during the big events from the show. And also, yes, I am aware that my timeline for the cases I've been using is a complete mixup when compared to the order they happened in the show. Thank you so much for reading!


	26. Reggie Purdue

"But Mulder, how are we going to work this?" Scully asked with exasperation. "We can't let Reggie die, but I don't want you in danger either."

"Scully, no! You're not going anywhere near this."

Scully huffed, trying to put her independence and pride aside and remember that she had to think about more than herself now. "I know. But what are you going to do? How are you going to help Reggie without getting in too deep?"

"Well, I don't think that Barnett will come after me specifically… at first… it's not in his character. He'll want to take out everyone close to me first. He called it his 'Fox Hunt' in his note from the murder, I think."

"Okay. So he already knows you're connected to Reggie. If he's trying to get at you… do you think he's already figured out where we live? That we live here together? Mulder, what if he trailed us to the doctor's appointment? That's strictly an OBGYN. It would be kind of obvious." Her voice wavered.

"Shit." Mulder ran a hand angrily through his hair, from front to back. "Fuck!"

"Mulder," Scully stepped forward to try and console him, even though she was freaking out inside at the thought of what Barnett might know and have planned.

"I don't want to get any of your family involved, Scully." He whipped out his phone. "I'm calling Skinner. I want around the clock guards watching out for you."

Laying a hand over her stomach, Scully was yet to get used to his added protectiveness. It was bad before they were together, then escalated when they became involved. The baby had only spurred him on further. "Mulder, we can't."

He whipped his head around. "Why the hell can't we, Scully? Don't pull your fucking 'admit no weakness' shit with me now. I need you safe!"

"Mulder, that's not why!" Scully's voice rose along with her growing anger. This was looking to be like their first actual bad fight now that they've been together intimately. "You can't call guards here because no one at the Bureau knows I'm pregnant, or that you live here, or that we're married." She softened her tone just a tad, trying to reign in her hormones. "You know what they'll do. Especially now that we've lied about it, crossing not to make changes to our records that they keep. We don't even have Skinner to vouch for us yet. He barely knows us!"

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?!" Mulder roared.

"I haven't got that far!" There were a few very terse, silent seconds that followed her comment. Neither one of them seemed to be willing to back down. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Scully. "Mulder?"

"What?" he snapped.

"What happens if there's a snowball effect?"

"What are you talking about, Scully?" Mulder sunk heavily down into the couch, his anger and adrenaline leaving him exhausted.

"What if our making things different and changing events causes things later down the road to be different, too?"

"I guess that's a possibility… but if so, then even our relationship, our marriage, our baby… that would mean that it's all bad."

"Not bad, Mulder," Scully admonished him. "Different. These are good things. But what if we change something so much that it affects a bunch of things and it eventually comes around back to us again? What if we find a way to save someone that we couldn't last time… and then they end up hitting one of us with a car in ten years?"

"That's a remote chance."

"But it's still a chance."

"Are you saying that you want me to just kick back and let Reggier die- again- for me?"

Scully sighed. "I don't know. I don't know, Mulder."

"What about the baby's due date? What does it mean if it's Emily? Would that mean that everything that is supposed to happen will find a way to happen?"

"Are you saying that if Reggie is meant to die, then he'll die tonight no matter what happens? Whether it's murder or not?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"So we're changing voluntary things, yet somehow not able to change fate?"

"Yes."

"God, Mulder I hope you're right." Scully felt a sudden wave of nauseousness hit her and beelined for the bathroom. Mulder appeared by her side within a few seconds and tried to keep her hair out of the way as she emptied her stomach into the toilet. "God, I wish I had known that morning sickness can actually happen anytime of the day," she groaned, wiping her chin off. She slumped back on her heels and wrinkled her nose. She hated throwing up, but this was because of something shed wanted for so long. She didn't want to take the experience for granted.

Mulder rubbed circled into her back while he rested his chin in his hand, elbow on knee. "What actually causes morning sickness, Scully?" he asked curiously, forgetting the more important topic at hand for a minute. They had until nightfall to figure out a plan, anyhow.

"It's a combination of the baby's presence and my body trying to accommodate it. It's a good thing… means my placenta is developing well." Scully leaned back over the toilet until another wave passed.

"So this is going to happen all the time?" Need hated seeing her sick. Even though he knew better, it still reminded him of her cancer.

"No," Scully giggled slightly, slumping back against him for a moment of rest. "Thank God. It usually goes away by end of first trimester."

He nodded his head against her scalp.

"You'll like second trimester, though."

"How so?"

Scully smiled evilly at him. "Hormones all ramp up again and it usually results in women being incredibly horny."

"Oh, God. You're bad enough now… it's a good thing I'm a younger man again. I don't know how I'd keep up with you if we were still in our past life." Mulder smiled to let her know he was teasing.

§§§

A few hours later, Mulder called in to Skinner and told him he that he had a very strong intuition that Barnett was going to target Reggie. Skinner sent out police units and ten FBI agents to sweep the house at around midnight. They found Barnett hiding in the linen closet of Reggie's house.

Mulder stayed home with Scully. It wasn't that he didn't trust her to keep herself safe. He knew that she was a better shot than him and that she'd single-handedly save his ass many time before. He couldn't help his added sense of protectiveness. They finally had the life they wanted. He didn't want to let the darkness in too far into their lives. Not like last time. They were both still so haunted by everything that happened back then.

Unfortunately, after they had all left there, Reggie suffered from a heart attack and died in his sleep.

Mulder was convinced that his theory was right. Some things were just meant to happen.

Scully, however, needed more than that one event and the due date of their baby to be convinced.

He was sure she would come to believe it in time.


	27. Second Trimester

Things had been going fairly well lately. At fifteen weeks, Scully was beginning to show- much to Mulder's delight. He loved being able to watch the ways that her body was shifting and changing. Scully had definitely been right about the hormones… trying to keep her satisfied was like trying to feed a lion, one mouse at a time. They had morning sex. They had bedtime time. Most of the time they even had lunch or dinner sex. Sometimes, he'd wake up in the middle of the night to find Scully pawing at him or straddling his waist. She was insatiable. Needless to say, Mulder was exhausted, but beyond happy.

Looking up from the case file he was reading, Mulder watched as Scully moved lazily from the kitchen over to the couch- where he was sitting- with a pint of ice cream in tow. She didn't even bother putting it in a bowl. Ice cream was her latest and most intense craving. And not just any ice cream... it had to be Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Had to.

"How's the case look?" Scully asked as she pulled the spoon out of her mouth with a pop. It took Mulder a second to register her words; he had been too busy watching her eat.

"Oh, uh..." He scratched his head. "It's alright, I guess. Nothing special. I don't think we need to go out there to investigate it. It seems like the local police will be able to handle it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure… plus we have dinner at your mom's house tomorrow, so we should go to that."

Now that they were in a new life, with a baby on the way, Mulder had been making a lot more of an effort to be involved with Scully's family. He didn't want her to miss out on time she could spend with them just to be out on a case.

They had told Ahab and Bill Scully about the pregnancy a few weeks ago. Bill was cordial, at best. But Ahab… he was happy. He had pulled Scully aside after they all ate dinner in order to tell her how proud he was of her decision to join the FBI, marry Mulder, and start a family. He seemed to have quite a soft spot for Mulder and immensely appreciated the fact that she had someone out there watching her back while they helped to make the world a better place.

Mulder knew how much that meant to Scully. The hormones, of course, made her more prone to tearing up, but Mulder was pretty sure she would have done the same thing even if she's weren't pregnant.

"Mulder?" Scully paused her ice cream eating, looking off into the distance towards the window from her perch Indian-style on the far cushion.

"Hmm?" Mulder replied, coming back to reality again.

"Even if the baby is a girl… and she's born on the same day… I don't know if I can call her Emily. I thought I could… but now… now I'm thinking I can't. I just- I don't know- I can't get that glassy look she gave me right before she died out of my head." Scully shook her head as if trying to physically remove the image from her mind. "The Emily that I knew was sick and tired. She was hurting. I don't think I can put two and two together when it comes to her name and this baby, even if it does turn out to be her. She lived a very different life than what this baby will have. I don't want to bunch them together into the same person, even if the are. In my mind they will always be separate."

Mulder moved to sit up. He offered his arm around Scully's shoulders and pulled her in close. "Okay."

"That's it? Okay?" Scully ducked under his arm, narrowly missing smearing ice cream on his shirt in the process. She leaned back and looked at him.

He knew that look. Whatever he said next better be damn good. "Scully," he sighed. "Okay. Okay, as in I respect your thoughts and I want to respect the memory of Emily, too. We can do whatever you think is best. All I want is for our baby to be healthy and be ours." He laid a palm on her cheek and brushed away a stray tear that was pooling under her eye. "I love you. I love Emily. And I love this baby. If you want to name her something different, then dammit that's what we'll do. I understand. I honestly do. I love my sister, but I wouldn't want to name one of our kids Samantha. I know that's a different situation but they're a little similar."

"Oh, Mulder." Scully's lip jutted out and quivered lightly.

"Hey. Hey, now. None of that. C'mere." Setting down her ice cream for her, he pulled her back close to him again and leaned backwards on the couch, laying them out so she was on his chest- her repeatedly self-proclaimed favorite place to be.

They laid there for so long that Mulder was almost convinced that she was asleep. That was… until her voice popped up quietly out of nowhere. "Mulder, can we have sex, please?

The way that she said it, and the fact that it was so blunt and out of nowhere, made him laugh outright. Her little head lifted up quickly, chin on chest, trying to judge his chuckle for hidden context. Yep, that was his girl.

"What?" She had no idea.

"Nothing. Nothing. I love you is all." He smacked her butt lightly. "C'mon. Time for bed."

Scully smirked and got up to put the ice cream away. She knew what that meant.

 **A/N: sorry for such a long wait! I'm going to be better. I promise! This chapter is a little short (or a lot) because it's mostly just a time filler in between bigger events. I also have had the** _ **worst**_ **case of writer's block. For those of you who read my other current story, there will be an update for that one soon, as well. Hope you all are doing well(:**


	28. Donnie Pfaster I

"Dana, will you please come help me make the stuffing for the turkey?" Maggie's voice drifted over the sounds of Christmas music.

"Yeah, mom. Be right there!" Scully hollered back at her. She turned to her husband apologetically. "Mulder, will you please help me up?"

Mulder took his arm out from behind her head and stood up, offering his hands to her for leverage. She was nineteen weeks now, and the baby was in full bloom. According to the baby book he was reading, their little girl was the size of a mango. They knew for sure now that their baby was a girl. Their appointment last week confirmed it. Both he and Scully knew she could full well get up on her own, but according to Scully it made her back hurt less at night when he helped her.

She went off to go help her mom. His eyes followed her form until she disappeared around the corner. Looking back to his present company, he immediately became uncomfortable. Bill Jr. was staring a hole into his head. And Melissa… she was smirking at him over the top of her cup of Chai tea. Their silent attention made him wish that there wasn't so much snow outside. He could escape the tension if there weren't. Looking down at his hands, he wished that Charlie would show up soon and provide a distraction. He got along really well with Charlie, thank goodness. They wouldn't be here until tomorrow though. There was a huge storm moving into Maryland; they were likely to be snowed in until New Year's.

Glancing back up, Mulder couldn't help himself. "Missy," he began lightly. "What gives?" He couldn't help the hot feeling that tinged the tips of his ears. He didn't like to be center of attention.

He wasn't even going to register Bill's presence. He knew from past experiences in their last life that it was best to just leave Bill be. Talking to him or trying to play nice only made it worse.

"Nothing." Missy's smirk grew wider. Her head ducked down lower to try and hide it. "Dana and I talk. That's all."

Mulder narrowed his eyes at her. There was a certain… nefarious… aspect to her tone that made him nervous.

"You sure take care of her _real well._ " Her emphasis on the latter part of her statement made it obvious that she was hinting at something that he _definitely_ didn't want to be mentioned out loud in front of his brother and father-in-law.

Bill Jr. scoffed loudly and got up to leave. He was clearly not pleased with Melissa's statement.

She laughed under her breath at her brother's reaction. "He is so easy," she mentioned after he had left the room.

Thankfully, the shrill ringing of his cell phone prevented him from having to answer Melissa.

"Hello" he spoke into the phone once he made it into the hallway.

A male voice spoke of the line. "Agent Fox Mulder?"

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"This is Special Agent Moe Bocks. I'm calling about a case in Minneapolis..."

Mulder felt like all of the air had been sucked out from around him. "What's the case?" he croaked out.

"There's been a grave disturbed out here and some people are under the impression that aliens are the ones who did it."

"You think that aliens are responsible for a grave desecration? Mulder tried to sound nonchalant, even though his heart felt like it was going to explode. Anger and hatred flowed through his veins.

"I saw a lot of things like that during my stint with the Violent Crimes Section. You're going to want to look for backhoe tracks somewhere nearby. What is the exact nature of the desecration? What's been disturbed?"

Bocks swallowed audibly. "Well, the hair has been cut… The fingernails are gone, too."

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like a classic model." Mulder sighed and bit down on his temper. "The person you're looking for has probably worked at a cemetery or a mortuary at one time or another. He may work at the same cemetery where the desecration happened, but I doubt it. It would be too risky at this point..."

The other agent was clearly uneasy. "So, you think we're dealing with a person here?"

"If you want to call him that..."

"Anything else that I should immediately have the PD down here start scoping through?"

"Uh, yeah. You should look for a man in his 30s or 40s. Probably grew up being the only boy in his family. Mother is probably deceased. He's either killing out of aggression because of her. That should be a good amount of information to help begin your search. I would come out to help, but I'm snowed in at my in-laws currently and the forcast doesn't have the weather clearing out for another week or so."

"Well, Agent Mulder. I can't thank you enough. I hope you have a nice Christmas with your family."

"I'll get in touch with some of my contacts and see if I can't come up with any names to check out. If there's one thing that rings trues with these types of monsters… he's going to eventually end up escalating to real women. And he'll escalate in level of violence, too." Mulder dragged a palm down the side of his face. This was not a call that he ever wanted to get again.

A shudder ran down his spine as his memory recalled the image of Scully, looking so small and broken after escaping Pfaster's demented grip. He never wanted her to have to go through it… or even think about it… again. He wished he would never have to, as well. Pfaster had messed with Scully's mind more than he ever thought possible. Mulder's stomach churned at the knowledge that he was going to have to go tell her about it on the day before Christmas.

After he wrapped up the conversation, Mulder reluctantly went off to find Scully. He found her in the dining room, helping her mom set the table. Bill was also there bringing in an extra pair of chairs. Great. He cleared his throat quietly. "Scully?"

"Uh huh..." She didn't look at him when she answered. She kept on counting out the silverware.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Now? We're just going to announce dinner..."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It can't wait."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his. He tried to mask his nerves and remain passive.

"Okay." She began to follow him out of the doorway.

Mulder caught Bill glaring at him as he let Scully go in front of him. Maggie seemed to catch it too because she swatted Bill's arm with a dishtowel.

She chided him in a tone that probably used to strike fear into the young Scully children's minds. "Enough."

Scully glanced back at Mulder and continued to look at him as they walked towards the bedrooms. However, she didn't say anything until they were both standing in Scully's childhood bedroom, which was also serving as their temporary room while they were staying there. "What is it?" she asked worriedly, her brow knitting together as her mind started jumping from possibility to possibility.

"I just got a call from an agent in Minneapolis..."

"Mulder, it's Christmas…" she began to whine in protest.

"Scully." His tone was scaring her now. He could tell. "The call was about the Pfaster case."

Her mouth formed to say, "Oh," but no real sound came out. She wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I told him that we're snowed in and that we won't be able to make it out there for at least a week. I gave him a basic profile to go off of… hopefully they find Pfaster before he actually kills anyone."

She hugged her arms around her rounded frame. "Okay," she said quietly, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Mulder took the opportunity to kneel down in front of her. "Scully, we just need to be prepared to go out there and deal with this is they can't catch him. I told the agent that I would use my contacts out here to try and find any names to check out so we can try and help them that way without having to go near him, but..."

"Okay. Okay," she repeated again. She felt like she was a million miles away from him. It worried him a little bit. He knew how strong she was… but he also knew that Pfaster still made a regular appearance in her nightmares.

"I didn't want you to be mad at me for not telling you about it."

"No. I know." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Thank you, Mulder." She squeezed it for emphasis.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fi-" She paused. "I'll be okay."

He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. "It's all going to be okay, Scully." He kissed her abdomen, too. Looking up at her, with his chin in the rise of her small protruding belly, he asked her, "Do you want to go down with me? Or do you want to wait up here and be alone for a little bit?"

She blinked down at him slowly. "I, uh, want to go with you… but can we wait a few more minutes?"

"Yeah… Yeah… Of course we can, Scully."


	29. All of Me

_The next morning..._

Sitting down on the ground, Mulder couldn't help but stress over the tension that was now residing on Scully's face. He knew full well that he had been the one to put it there. It would have been wrong to not tell her, no matter how awful he felt about it.

She was hiding it well. He knew that. However, that did not mean that he couldn't see it. She was putting on a brave face for her family. She did surprise him, though, when she decided to push her small pregnant form off of the wall by the tree and walked toward him. Stopping in front of him, she- not so gently- nudged his feet apart with her ankle sock-clad foot. She plopped down in between his legs, pulling his arms around her torso with her own. She rested their hands criss-cross over her stomach and leaned her head back to rest comfortably in the crook of his neck.

Mulder leaned his mouth against her ear. "All cozy and snug there, Scully?"

"Mmmmhm." She hummed back at him, her eyes tracking her niece and nephew as they opened up present after present. "Look, Mulder." She nodded at Charlie, who had just newly arrived that morning with his wife and kids. "That's gonna be us soon."

He looked down at her face and saw the small tilt of her lips. She was happy for the moment. Good. "Sure will be, honey." He leaned closer again. "I can't wait." He said it like it was a secret.

Scully sighed. "Man, I wish I could have coffee."

"You tired?" He didn't even need to ask. She tossed and turned almost all night, only settling down into a deep sleep when she finally gave in and climbed on top of him. It had to have been at least three am by then.

"I'm a 'lil sleepy," she breathed back at him.

"Think you can stay awake until you open your present? Then you can take a nap..."

"Hmmmm'kay."

Mulder looked up at Maggie. "Maggie? Do you think you can grab that small red package and the manila envelope from under the tree?"

"M'wait!" Scully snagged her mom's attention as she walked over to the tree. "Mom, grab Mulder's too, please."

Maggie meandered back other, dodging all of the colored paper that littered the floor. "Here you go." She smiled sweetly at them.

"Thank you," they both stated in unison, before looking at each other in surprise.

Maggie chuckled at them and went to sit back down.

"Mulder, open yours first..." She dropped her head against his shoulder.

Ripping open the paper of his medium size box and setting it on top of her stomach, Mulder quickly realized that it was from a department store. Opening the white box and sifting through the tissue paper, Mulder pulled out three inoffensive ties and a pair of alien head cufflinks. They were grey. A smile lit up Mulder's face. "Scuh-uully," he clucked happily. He set the box down next to him and snuggled into her neck, arms tightening around the space between her belly and her breasts. "Thank you." He pressed a kiss under her ear. "I love them."

"My turn?" Scully's eyes lit up like those of a child. She loved presents.

Mulder laughed at her excitement and gave her the go ahead.

She tore through her wrapping paper quickly, leaving the manila folder for last. When she realized what she was holding, she gasped, drawing the attention of her family around her. "Mulder," she trilled. "You didn't..."

He tapped the jewelry box. "Just open it."

Scully flipped the lid open. "Oh, my God! Mulder!" Inside of the jewelry box was a pair of emerald earrings. The emeralds were natural and hung in a drop shape off of the studs. The stud itself was covered in small diamonds. "Mulder!" she repeated again. "They're gorgeous!"

"I figured they'd go well with your hair and your coloring…"

"Thank you, Mulder! I don't know what else to say..." Her voice dropped down to a hushed tone.

"Well, don't say thank you quite yet. I'm going to take you out somewhere really nice for your birthday and you can wear them for me." He reached over and pulled the envelope onto her lap. "Open this one now."

"Okay. You hold these for me, then."

"You got it, Doc." Mulder held his breath as Scully pulled out a stack of legal papers and began to read.

"Mulder, what is-" She sucked in a harsh breath.

"I wanted to add you all of my bank accounts and trusts… and I made a savings account for the baby… and any other babies that we may have." He paused at the sight of a tear running down Scully's cheek. "Hey, hey, now." He swiped it away gently with his thumb. "Was it too much? I can go back in and change it to whatever you want."

"No. No. No," she rushed out hurriedly, sitting up in his arms so she could turn to look at him better. "It's perfect." She moved forward to place a gentle kiss to his bottom lip. "I love the idea. It's not too much… I'm just overwhelmed. These are happy tears. I promise." She looked through the papers again. "You really made savings accounts for our future kids?"

Mulder nodded at her. "I figured we could save it to pay for their college… If we ever run short on money or if one of us decided to stop working, what I have in my savings and trusts will be more than enough to keep us comfortable."

"You're serious?"

"Dead serious, Scully. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want. All that I have is yours."

"Oh, Mulder." Scully wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could with her belly standing in their way. "Thank you. I love you." She spoke quietly into his hair.

He rubbed slow circles into her back, glad to have gotten her mind off of Pfaster and onto the future- their future. "I love you, too."


	30. Trouble

**A/N: So SORRY for those of you that read the update before I fixed it! I posted the wrong chapter for this story! the chapter was for Christmas at Maggie's! Also, I fixed the DVD thing lol. Yes, I know I'm mucking up the episode order again… but I felt like this episode fit well with what I wanted to happen next.**

Christmas was over and New Year's was quickly approaching. The ' _profile'_ that Mulder concocted turned out to not be enough for the local PD to acquire a warrant to search Pfaster's house. Mulder ended up having to leave Maggie's house a day early and take a last minute flight to Minneapolis. He was lucky that the flight restriction was lifted temporarily before the big storm hit. Scully stayed back with her mom while he went out to help.

It took him sixteen hours to trail Pfaster with the help of Bocks and catch him in the act. They arrested him for murder and Mulder got back on a plane in order to get to DC before he got stuck. Bocks assured Mulder that he was going to push for the death penalty, but Mulder was doubtful. In the last life, Pfaster had committed several murders and still only got a ten-year sentence. They'd deal with that when it came up in the future. For now, it was enough for them to know that Pfaster was behind bars. It did worry him that Pfaster knew about his existence, but they'd worry about that when Pfaster was released. He didn't want that monster coming anywhere near Scully or their daughter.

§§§

Today was their first day back at work. Unfortunately, for them, they didn't get as much time off of work as most of America did. Mulder looked down at his watch. They had a meeting with Skinner in five minutes and Scully wasn't back from her trip to the bathroom yet.

Luckily, he spotted her walking down the hallway before Earlene, Skinner's secretary, had a chance to call them into the office. Mulder took a moment to admire his wife's form as she walked over to him. She had taken to wearing black, loose sweaters with her slacks. Her tan trenchcoat waved behind her as she swayed with each step. You couldn't even tell that she was almost four and a half months pregnant. He bit back a smile at the surge of masculine feelings it brought out in him. He'd done that to her. Not anyone else that she'd ever loved or had sex with. Not anyone that had ever found her attractive or had asked her out. Him. Only him. He gave up and let the smile grow.

She reached him with an arched eyebrow in tow. "What?" she demanded.

Mulder shook his head. "Nothing. Come on let's go wait." He held the door open for her so they could walk into the waiting area. After only a few minutes of waiting, Earlene gave them the go-ahead. They walked into Skinner's office and both immediately felt that something was off. When they sat down, Skinner cut to the chase.

"Agents," he spoke gruffly over his glasses. "Eugene Victor Tooms has a trial in three hours. They want to release him into the care of a Mr. and Mrs. Green. I want you two to go to the trial."

Mulder sighed heavily, head dropping down in disappointment. He knew how this was going to go.

Scully licked the corner of her mouth.

Skinner looked between them. Taking his glasses off, he continued. "Another thing is that I'm supposed to be telling you two that, though your solve rate is well above the mark for the Bureau, you guys need to up your case report frequency. And please, try to stick to the guidelines."

Scully's narrowed eyes spurred him on further. "This isn't coming from any higher-ups. Your guys' work finding double agents within the government system has been superb. This is coming from me. We have a new Deputy Director and he's a stickler for the rules. I don't want to see you two in trouble."

Mulder and Scully made eye contact. They both knew who he was talking about- Kersh- but Scully was impressed by Skinner's show of loyalty this early on in the game.

Five hours after they left Skinner's office, they exited the courtroom. Tooms had been released. All he needed was one more murder in order to be able to hibernate. Then, they'd never catch him. Mulder glared at the man as he was escorted past where he and Scully were standing.

As soon as they made it out of the building, Mulder turned toward Scully. "We've got to make sure he doesn't leave his house, Scully."

"Okay." She trailed her hand down his upper arm. "Okay, let's go get some food." She thought for a second. "And I want my pillow so I can nap when it's not my turn."

§§§

It was nearing one o'clock in the morning when Mulder decided that they should head home. He finished his last sandwich that Scully had made him while he grabbed their stuff earlier and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Honey, wake up," he spoke quietly, not wanting to startle her as she slept with her pillow against the window.

"Hmm?" She rubbed her face against the pillow, not wanting to open her eyes yet.

"It's one. I don't think he's going to leave tonight. We should head home and get you in your pajamas and into bed."

She hummed. "Mm'kay.

Mulder sucked down what was left of his iced tea- Scully's pick- and turned the car on. As he meandered through the side streets in order to get back home, he couldn't help but feel as if he was forgetting something important. He racked his brain the entire way to the apartment, but couldn't figure it out.

When he got to the complex, he got out of his side of the car quietly and went over to the other side. He lifted Scully out carefully, receiving only a small amount of protest from his exhausted partner. In addition to the higher libido, she was also sleeping a lot more these days. New Year's was three days away. He wasn't sure how she was going to manage to stay up the whole time in order to see the ball drop.

He got her into bed and gently tried to undress her as much as he could. It was a good thing that they had a lot of blankets on the bed because he knew he wouldn't be able to get her silk pajamas on her without waking her back up. He got her shirt and bra off fine, but once he got her pants off he was surprised to see that she had foregone underwear today. He grinned to himself. Only his Scully. There was no telling what she had originally planned for today. He decided to make it up to her on New Year's Eve. Tucking her under the covers, he moved to go get ready for bed himself.

Three hours later, neither Mulder nor Scully woke from the sound of a screw loosening in the living room.


	31. Found Out

When Scully woke up, it took her a few seconds to process where she was. She was in her bed. She wasn't wearing a shirt- maybe no pants, too; it wouldn't be uncommon as late. Mulder had his arm slung over her waist as she laid on her right side. It was then that she noticed why she woke up. The alarm clock was sounding. She reached over to her nightstand and shut it off.

"Mulder," she murmured, turning around to press her lips on the underside of his jaw. She drug her index finger back and forth along his collarbone. "Mulder, it's time to get up."

His eyes cracked open. "Shower together?" He tightened his hand on her hip.

"M'kay." She pointed a finger at him as she slid out of the bed. "But no funny business."

"Fine, but that means that you have to behave, too."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Hey, Mulder?" Scully stopped her trek to the bathroom to turn around and look at him with mock indignation. "What happened to my clothes?"

He looked stunned.

"That's what I thought."

By the time she reached the doorway into the bathroom, Mulder seemed to recover his ability to communicate. "Hey! Where were your underwear yesterday, huh?" he yelled from the bed.

§§§

They managed to shower without a single problem. Well, Scully did manage to cop a feel on his ass a few times… but other than that, it went smoothly. They were just about ready to leave when Scully's phone rang.

She paused in her efforts to put on her heels and walked over the nightstand. "Scully," she chirped professionally.

Mulder put a pause on shaving and watched through the mirror as her small form began to pace the floor.

"Sir?"

A pause. Mulder leaned back a bit so he could see her through the doorway.

"Okay. Yes, sir. I will get in touch with him and let him know." She hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Scully?"

"Mulder, that was Skinner. You have to go see Baltimore PD." She sounded tired all of the sudden.

"Did they say why?"

"They want to ask you some questions. I don't know why, but if they had to call Skinner in order to reach you, then I'm willing to bet that they've been to your apartment, or at the very least… tried your landline. Skinner was asking if I knew where you were."

"So, when do we leave?"

She grumbled. "Not _we,_ Mulder. _You._ You have to go. Skinner wants to see me in a meeting."

"Uh oh."

"Now. He wants to see me now. So, I gotta go."

He washed the shaving cream off of his face and slapped on some aftershave.

"Give me a kiss before you go?"

"No." She sounded disgusted.

His face fell. "Why not?"

Her nose scrunched up. "You just put on aftershave. It's gonna smell really strong. I don't need to smell like you right now and I don't want to be nauseous all day."

"Does the smell bother you now?"

"It's starting to..."

"Okay. I'll stop wearing it until the baby is here."

She smiled despite herself. Hearing him say the word 'baby' and knowing that he was referring to something that they created together… it gave her goosebumps. "I'll kiss you later," she grinned. "After you come home in one piece."

§§§

"Agent Scully." Skinner greeted, waving her in and pointing toward a chair. "Please, have a seat."

"Sir," Scully sat down but didn't relax in the chair. "What's this about?"

"This is about Mulder, Agent Scully." Skinner sat forward in his chair, hands folded in front of him, glasses perched low on his nose. "Early this morning, Eugene Victor Tooms showed up at the hospital with a broken jaw, among many other cuts and bruises along his face. He told the doctors that Agent Mulder was the one who beat him up. There was a shoe print on the side of his face that matches the size that Agent Mulder wears. They called him down to the Baltimore precinct to question him about it."

Scully was astonished. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Agent Scully, these are very serious allegations against Agent Mulder. They couldn't reach Mulder at his apartment or by phone. I went over there myself when they called me. They had a warrant to search his place. It's empty." Skinner narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you have any idea about his whereabouts last night or his living status, Agent Scully?"

Scully took a deep breath and looked into Skinner's eyes. It was time. Not only because she didn't have much other choice… but also because the Consortium was gone now… and she's going to have to switch over to maternity clothes in a few weeks. "Sir, when Agent Mulder gets questioned as to his location last night and this morning… he's going to tell them that he was on an unauthorized surveillance until one in the morning. After that, he went home."

Skinner's eyes narrowed further. "And how would you know this, Agent Scully?"

She took another big breath. "I know… because I was with him on that unauthorized surveillance." She tried to calm her racing heart. "He couldn't have done it because he was with me."

"Agent Mulder was with you, Agent Scully. All night?"

"Yes, sir." She scratched the back of her head without dropping eye contact. "There's something you should know… it will explain why Mulder's apartment is empty. And I hope you'll understand why we've been discreet about it." She really hoped he wouldn't fire them over this. She didn't think he would. She just had to trust him.

"I'm listening." Skinner leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Sir, Agent Mulder and I are married."

From the look on Skinner's face. That was the absolute last thing that he had expected to hear.

She slowly drew out the end of her statement. "That's why he was with me all night. We were surveilling Tooms and then we went home. Together."

After a few long, terse seconds- during which Scully was sure that Skinner had actually frozen in time- Skinner snapped out of his daze and whipped off his glasses. Agent Scully," he tried to recover his shock. "You wouldn't happen to be lying to me would you?"

She felt a weird sense of deja vous come over her. "Sir, in all honesty, I would hope and expect you to put the same amount of trust in me as I do in you… especially after you helped us take down the Consortium." Scully made a split-second decision, choosing to continue her bold streak in order to save herself some embarrassment later. "But if you want some other forms of proof… I can tell you that this here-" she pointed to her left ring finger. "-is the engagement and wedding ring that Mulder got me a few months after we were partnered together. He's wearing his today, but when we're at work, I usually wear his ring on the chain of my necklace. And this here-" She unbuttoned her jacket with shaking hands; it was the only thing keeping her bump hidden. Running a hand over her blossoming stomach, she tried not to smile at his loud gulp upon seeing the bulge in her midsection. "- is our baby. There's also a marriage certificate from the state of California that we filed not even a day after you gave us the all clear about the arrests that were made in June."

It took Skinner a few long seconds to process. While she waited, Scully began to lose her confidence. She now was feeling unsure of her last action and was considering leaving the office.

Luckily, Skinner finally spoke up. "I'm sure that'll be plenty of information to provide an alibi for Mulder..." Skinner cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll call the Baltimore precinct right away."

Scully moved for the door at his conclusion.

"Oh, and Scully?" His voice made her hand still on the doorknob. "Congratulations," he told her earnestly when she looked back at him.

She felt her skin flush. "Thank you, sir." Walking out the door, she felt Arlene's curious stare follow her figure out into the hallway.

Just as she was about out of earshot, she heard Skinner exclaim to her, "Arlene! Get in here! I need to put some money down on the bet!"

Scully's skin flamed even further. She hid a smile behind the back of her hand as she waited for the elevator.


	32. Ms Waller

Scully was driving home when her cell phone rang. "Mulder?" she answered, already knowing who it was.

"Yeah, Scully… they think I-"

"I know, Mulder. I know." She let out a small sigh. "That's why Skinner brought me in. Don't worry, I cleared it all up. That's probably why they are releasing you right now. Skinner said he'd call them." Scully knew he could tell that she was leaving something out just by the tone of her voice, from the way it clipped at the end with a higher pitch than normal.

"Scully?" He sounded apprehensive.

"You can wear your wedding ring to work now, I think…" Scully paused as she pulled into a parking spot in front of their building. "I told him, Mulder," she stated quickly. "I told him about the marriage… the baby… I just- I need you here with me. Nothing is more important than that. It was time to tell him anyway; it would have been awkward to do it any later when he he'd be able to actually tell that I'm pregnant."

"Wow," he breathed, slowly dragging out the syllables. "Okay, so…"

"Sooo," she mocked him, getting out of her car and making her way inside. "Get your ass home. I want to change the locks on the doors… just in case. Knowing that Tooms was in our apartment doesn't sit well with me. And maybe if you do that quickly…" Scully made sure to draw out the last few words. She knew her hesitance would peak his interest. "I'll let you get some before we have to go to dinner at my parents' house."

Mulder chuckled. "Wild woman… you are always so horny. Are you only using me for my body?" he joked lightly, teasing her.

She turned her key into the lock on their front door. "Are you really complaining about the fact that I want to have sex with you all the time?" Scully fired back with sass. She paused, sensing a pair of eyes on her. Looking from side to side, she caught the disapproving glare of her elderly next door neighbor. Scully gave her a tight-lipped fake smile- which only made the woman squint her eyes further- as she opened the door and slipped into her apartment. "Mulder, we may need to give our lovely neighbor a Christmas present. A really good one."

"Ms. Waller? Why?" Mulder wondered where her abrupt change of thought came from.

"Well she just heard me say that to you and she was not a fan." Scully huffed as she fell back into the couch cushions and kicked her shoes off of her feet. "God," she groaned as she leaned her head back against the top of the couch. "Wanna give me a foot rub when you get here too? My feet are killing me." A second of silence from the other end of the line prompted her to tag on another incentive. "I promise that I'll make it worth your while…" she hinted.

Mulder finally released a loud breath that sounded like something between a laugh and a moan. "I know you will." He paused. "Why would we care that she heard you mention something about sex? You're a grown woman. A grown _married_ woman. You're even pregnant for God's sake. She can't possibly be offended or surprised by that."

"Well," Scully bit her lip. There was something she hadn't told him about yet… She had found it too embarrassing to bring up to him before now.

"What happened, Scully?" Mulder chided knowingly. She was holding something back.

"Well, Mulder… the wall behind the headboard in our room is the one that her bedroom is on the other side of… and… well…" Scully was having a hard time getting it out. She absentmindedly ran a hand tenderly over her small belly while she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Well…." Mulder continued for her, waiting for her to gather herself and finish the story.

"She came up to me the other day when she ran into me on the stairwell. She, uh- had some complaints…"

"Complaints?" Mulder was loving every second of this. There was little he loved more than a flustered Scully _and_ people complaining about their obvious sex life. It was making his drive home through traffic _much_ more enjoyable.

"Yeah, she requested that we keep our noise level down…"

"And," Mulder grinned devilishly, picking up on the fact that their neighbor seemed to have not only one complaint… but several.

"She also requested that we move the headboard away from the wall or put padding down…" Scully screwed her eyes shut. She really didn't want to explain the last one.

"Scully?"

Scully stayed silent for a while, yet again attempting to work up the courage to tell him their neighbor's embarrassing comments. "Our fabulous neighbor also said," she finally began, "that if we decide to do… that thing we did two weeks ago… again…" She heard Mulder let out a loud gasp. He knew what she was talking about. It had been her request, after all. Something that she had wanted to try and have him do to her. "And Mulder, I know I was apprehensive going into it, but that was only because I'd never done it before… I think you already know that I really enjoyed it and that we absolutely _will_ be doing it again. But, uh, yeah… she asked me if we could tone down the dirty talk because she didn't want to know that we were doing _that_ -said that it was gross and she didn't need to hear about it..." She sighed, ignoring Mulder's chortle of laughter that was only growing with each word she told him.

"Mulder," she whined. "It's not funny! She knows that we did… _you know!"_

"Oh, Scully." Mulder finally gasped out. "It's beyond funny! Oh, God. You must have been so mortified!"

"I'm way past mortified, Mulder!" Scully bellowed.

He conceded. "All right. All right. I'm almost home. I'll change the locks and rub your feet… and you can bet your ass that you will be sated before we go to dinner."

Scully grinned. She really did love this man. Her man. "Don't make promises that you can't keep, Mulder."

Mulder laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I plan on keeping every single one with them."

"Okay. I'll see you when you get home. I love you."

"I love you too, Scully."

 **A/N: It's short. I know. Been having some writers block, but hopefully this filler will quench a little bit of your curiosity. I'll let you all decide for yourselves what Mulder and Scully "tried" out ;P**


	33. Reveal

It felt like bubbles. That's what she had decided. Everytime their baby moved, it felt like bubbles in her stomach. Running a hand softly down the side of her ever-rounding tummy, Scully chuckled as she felt another flutter. "Hi there, little one. I'm your mommy," she spoke sweetly to her stomach from her seat in the middle of the bed, where she was sitting criss-cross-applesauce. She was beyond in love with her baby. At twenty-three weeks, their baby was now the size of a grapefruit.

Scully sighed with mixed emotions as she felt another kick. She wished Mulder could be here to feel it too. She wanted so much for him to have been there when she felt their child move for the first time. Sadly, it's not what happened though. Mulder had been sent out to Oregon on a profiling case. There was no way out of it, so he went. It was only supposed to be a day or two, but the single killing turned into multiple almost right after he got there. A day or two away quickly turned into a week and a half, with no end in sight. Now, he was going to miss her doctor's appointment.

After looking at the clock and realizing it was time for her to leave, Scully got up to grab her purse and keys. She looked back down at her stomach and silently wondered, _Are you a boy or a girl?_

§§§§§

Coming out of her appointment a few hours later, Scully slid slowly into the driver's seat of her car. With a feeling of bittersweet melancholy, she pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. After a few rings, the other line picked up.

" _Hello?"_

"Hi, mom." Scully breathed as she brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and then turned the car on.

" _Dana, what is it?"_ She knew her mother could sense the emotion in her voice.

"Well, I uhm… just got out of a checkup appointment at the OBGYN…"

" _Dana…"_ Scully could tell that her mother was beyond worried, most likely thinking about all of the worst possibilities.

"No, no… nothing bad, mom. I promise. It's just… Mulder's not here… and so now I know the sex of our baby and he doesn't…"

" _Oh, Dana…_ "

There was pity and understanding in her mother's tone in addition to relief, but Scully had a plan forming. "I'm gonna need your help, mom."

§§§§§

 _Five days later…_

"Scully? I'm home!" Mulder called out through the apartment as he shut the front door and took off his jacket, suitcase laying forgotten next to his feet. He found her in the kitchen making lunch.

Smiling brightly at him, she put down what she was doing and learned up for a hug. Mulder found her lips with his almost immediately. Apparently, he caught her by surprise because she sucked in a gasp before reciprocating with fervor. He groaned as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

They kissed for some time, taking the time to get reacquainted with each other after being apart for so long. When they finally pulled apart from each other, Mulder rested his forehead against hers, reveling in the feeling of her fingertips tracing imaginary trails up and down his biceps and the gentle swell of their baby pressing against him, creating a space in between him and her. "I'm so sorry," he finally said softly.

Scully nodded her head side-to-side against him. "S'not your fault."

Taking a deep breath, Mulder gathered the nerve to ask the one question that had been weighing on his mind since he began the case. "So…" He pulled his head away from hers slightly in order to search her eyes for the truth she knew.

"Uhm," she bit her lip. "We're going to mom's after lunch…"

Mulder felt confused by her reply. "Wha-" he began before she interrupted him again.

"Mm'm. You have to wait."

Mulder groaned deep in his throat. "Sculleee!"

"Sh..." She hushed him with a swift kiss to his lips.

§§§§§

Maggie Scully's house was filled to the brim with excitement. Her daughter had asked for her help in planning a surprise gender reveal for Fox. Maggie thought it was just the sweetest thing. Though Dana refused to allow her to know if she was having a boy or girl, Maggie was still excited over the fact that Dana even wanted to be so involved and open with the family. The young couple were on their way over. They were all going to be a part of the joy that Dana gave Fox when he found out.

Taking one last look at the props that Dana had her acquire, Maggie felt ensured enough to go and sit out on the back porch with her husband and Melissa.

It was not ten minutes later when she heard the front door open with a loud squeak, followed by Mullder rich baritone taking the form of a pleasing whine. "Sculleee!" Fox cried. "When can I take this blindfold off?!"

"In a minute!" She heard her daughter reply back with a hint of annoyance that was buried deeply underneath a lot of happiness.

The trio watched as Dana guided her husband out onto the back porch and then down the stairs to the grass.

"Hey, mom?" Dana asked over her shoulder as she continued to move Fox where she wanted him. "Will you please bring the stuff over here?"

Maggie smiled in compliance. She couldn't wait to figure out what her grandchild was going to be.

"Scully, what's going on?"

"Oh, hush it." Scully berated him sarcastically. "Okay, Mulder," she said. "I'm going to hand you something and then you're going to count to five before you take off your blindfold. Got it?"

"Roger." A few moments after his reply, he felt something hard and cool get placed into his palms. His fingers flexed around it instinctively, immediately recognizing the shape and feel of the object. "Alright, now I'm really curious."

"Count, Mulder."

He sighed, but listened to Dana anyway. He was a good man, who was going to make a great father. Of that, Maggie was sure.

"One. Two…" He counted off. "Three. Four." He began to take off his blindfold. "Five." A smile instantly began to grow on his face when he noticed Scully's devilish grin from fifteen yards away. "What are you up to, Scully?"

The smirk only brightened. "Wanna play baseball, Mulder?"

"What's the catch?"

"When you hit the ball, it's going to explode."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And when it explodes… you're gonna know what we're having."

Mulder laughed at her ingenuity, having managed to bring two of his favorite things into one activity. "Let's get it on, honey." He brought his arms and bat up into a batter's stance.

Scully smiled and took a quick glance over at her family. Her mom was sitting on the porch steps, camcorder in hand, expression equal parts excitement and anticipation. "Ready, Mulder?" Scully asked with sass as she blew a pesky strand of hair away from her eyes.

Mulder sent a retort back at her that he knew would get across a much deeper meaning than everyone else could understand. "I was ready a lifetime ago, Scully."

The smile she gave him was one of the brightest he's ever seen. If there's one thing he's learned about Scully lately, in this new, more happy version of their life, it's that when she has a secret, there's nothing he can do about her devilishly impish nature. He wouldn't change it for anything. It was quickly becoming one of his most cherished variations of the complex Dana Katherine Scully.

Before he knew it, the makeshift baseball was flying toward him in slow motion. He lifted his elbow and timed his swing. This was it. The most important hit of his life. There was no satisfying crack like one would expect when hitting a baseball. No, not this time. When his bat made contact with the paper-mache, it sounded like he was hitting a sack of flour. One second he heard the sound, the next he saw a cloud of pink dust separate him from Scully. The buzz of this revelation could be heard on the porch. Scully's family was beyond elated. He let out a sound of exclamation and jumped up in the air before taking off through the pink haze- before taking off to Scully.

Running toward her, she squealed slightly as he enveloped her in his arms. A giggle escaped her lips as he kissed her neck roughly, her hands coming to comb messily through his hair. Moving his hand to her stomach, Scully spoke softly to him. "Do you feel her?"

Mulder looked down in complete amazement. A girl. He and Scully made a baby girl.


End file.
